Rajya Sabha’s Billionaire Club Grows: 31 MPs Declare Assets Above ₹100 Crore
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
The Rajya Sabha is intended to bring experienced leaders, subject experts and diverse voices into Parliament. However, a recent analysis of MPs’ election affidavits highlights the growing presence of wealthy individuals in the Upper House, with 31 members declaring assets worth more than ₹100 crore each.
According to a June 2026 report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW), 31 of the 226 Rajya Sabha MPs analysed—around 14%—fall into this category. The total declared assets of these 226 MPs stand at approximately ₹26,047 crore. <Cite refs={["turn890194search0"]}/>
Number of billionaire MPs rises since 2014
The report points to a rise in the number of Rajya Sabha MPs declaring assets exceeding ₹100 crore. According to the figures cited in the analysis, the number increased from four in 2014 to six in 2018 and reached 31 in June 2026.
The analysis covers 226 of the Rajya Sabha’s 233 MPs. Four seats in West Bengal were vacant, while affidavits for three MPs—Devendra Pratap Singh, G.C. Chandrashekhar and S. Selvaganapathy—were unavailable for analysis.
Average declared assets at ₹115.25 crore
The average declared assets of the 226 MPs analysed stood at ₹115.25 crore. This figure is influenced by a small number of MPs with exceptionally high declared wealth and does not represent the typical MP’s assets.
The report is based on the financial disclosures made in MPs’ election affidavits. Declared assets do not, by themselves, establish how an MP acquired their wealth or whether wealth influenced their political position.
Who are the five wealthiest MPs?
According to the figures in the report, the five MPs with the highest declared assets are:
- Dr Bandi Partha Saradhi Reddy — BRS, Telangana: approximately ₹5,300 crore.
- Rajinder Gupta — Aam Aadmi Party, Punjab: approximately ₹5,053 crore.
- Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi — Congress, Telangana: approximately ₹2,558 crore.
- Jaya Amitabh Bachchan — Samajwadi Party, Uttar Pradesh: approximately ₹1,578 crore.
- Parimal Nathwani — Independent, Jharkhand: approximately ₹755 crore.
Former Union minister and Independent MP Kapil Sibal, with declared assets of approximately ₹608 crore, is also among the wealthiest members.
Party-wise distribution
The report also records differences in the proportion of MPs declaring assets above ₹100 crore across parties.
- BJP: 7 of 107 MPs (7%).
- Congress: 6 of 29 MPs (21%).
- YSRCP: 2 of 4 MPs (50%).
- TDP: 2 of 4 MPs (50%).
- BRS: 2 of 3 MPs (67%).
- NCP: 2 of 4 MPs (50%).
All four Independent MPs included in the analysis declared assets exceeding ₹100 crore.
These percentages reflect the financial disclosures of MPs from each party in the report; they should be read alongside the size of each party’s representation in the House.
Telangana and Andhra Pradesh account for a substantial share
The state-wise figures show that Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have high proportions of MPs declaring assets above ₹100 crore.
- Telangana: 4 of 7 MPs (57%).
- Andhra Pradesh: 5 of 11 MPs (45%).
- Odisha: 3 of 10 MPs (30%).
- Punjab: 2 of 7 MPs (29%).
- Gujarat: 2 of 11 MPs (18%).
- Uttar Pradesh: 4 of 31 MPs (13%).
- Maharashtra: 3 of 19 MPs (16%).
- Tamil Nadu: 2 of 18 MPs (11%).
The report puts the combined declared assets of MPs from Telangana at ₹8,310 crore. Andhra Pradesh MPs account for another ₹1,949 crore. Together, the two states’ MPs hold around ₹10,259 crore in declared assets—about 39% of the total for all 226 MPs analysed. <Cite refs={["turn890194search0"]}/>
What does the data indicate?
The increase in the number of MPs declaring assets above ₹100 crore raises questions about wealth and representation in Parliament. However, the figures alone do not establish that wealth is the sole route to a Rajya Sabha seat or that wealthy MPs necessarily exercise greater political influence.
The findings offer a snapshot of the financial profiles disclosed by sitting MPs. They also underline the importance of transparent election affidavits and public scrutiny of candidates’ declared assets.
