Himanta Biswa Sarma Among Richest CMs While Assam Struggles on HDI: Gaurav Gogoi

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi on Thursday criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for being ranked among the richest Chief Ministers in the country.

Citing a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on December 30, 2024, Gaurav Gogoi stated, “Mr. Sarma promised that Assam would be in the top five States in India in terms of development, but on the other hand he is on the verge of becoming one of the top five richest Chief Ministers.”

Taking to 'X,' Gogoi reiterated, “What was promised by the BJP Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma that Assam will be in the top 5 States in India in terms of development. Instead Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma himself is on the verge of becoming the one of the top 5 richest Chief Ministers in India."

The Congress deputy leader in Lok Sabha further highlighted the disparity between personal wealth and State development in Northeast India. He noted that four National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Chief Ministers from the region feature among the top 10 richest Chief Ministers as per the ADR report, even though their States rank poorly in terms of Human Development Index (HDI).

He said, "While 4 NDA Chief Ministers from Northeast India are in the top 10 richest Chief Minister list shared by Association of Democratic Reforms (@adrspeaks), their states lag behind in Human Development Index rankings. BJP Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is ranked 7th richest, while Assam is ranked 31st on the UNDP HDI index. Looking at the sharp contrast between personal wealth and State development, it is clear that 'Vikas' is only for the BJP."

"Is this the 'development' promised by the double engine BJP sarkar?” he questioned.

While 4 NDA Chief Ministers from
Northeast India are in the top 10 richest Chief Minister list shared by Association of Democratic Reforms (@adrspeaks), their states lag behind in Human Development Index rankings.

BJP Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is ranked 7th richest,… pic.twitter.com/Hy5sr692zs

— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) January 1, 2025

According to the ADR report, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu tops the list of the richest Chief Ministers in India with assets exceeding ₹931 crore, while West Bengal's Mamata Banerjee is the poorest with assets worth ₹15 lakh.

The report ranks Himanta Biswa Sarma 9th among the richest Chief Ministers, with assets valued at approximately ₹17 crore. It also states that the average asset per Chief Minister across State Assemblies and Union Territories is ₹52.59 crore. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu has been named the second richest chief minister in India, with assets exceeding Rs 332 crore, according to the ADR report. However, the report also points out that Khandu carries the highest liabilities among Indian chief ministers, totaling Rs 180 crore.