Amirander Singh’s wife Parneet Kaur is the second richest, followed by Congress MP Jalandhar Gurjeet Singh, while Sukhbir Singh is the fifth richest.
CHANDIGARH: It’s not just the music charts that the gregarious Punjabis dominate; they are also the country’s wealthiest politicians. Across party lines, three of the five richest MPs in the country are from Punjab! Amirander Singh’s wife Parneet Kaur Congress MP from Patiala is the second richest, closely followed by Congress MP from Jalandhar Gurjeet Singh, while Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal’s son Sukhbir Singh is the fifth richest.
Bhajan Lal’s son Kuldeep Bishnoi is the eight richest MP in Lok Sabha. As many as 96 MPs in the Lok Sabha have properties and cash worth lakhs and crores. Of the 55 Cabinet members, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ranks 53rd in terms of financial worth.
As per the last elections of 2004, over 27% of MPs in Lok Sabha are crorepatis. 145 of the 532 MPs of the lower house have cash, jewellery, shares, bonds, vehicles, agricultural income or any other form of income in excess of Rs one crore. Most of this property is in the name of either their wives or children. 301 other MPs have financial assets worth Rs 10 lakh to Rs 99 lakh. This brings the total lakhpatis and crorepatis to a whopping 446 MPs.
Telugu Desam Party’s Dr Odikesvulu from Chittur in Andhra Pradesh is the richest MP in Lok Sabha today. He has fixed and liquid assets worth Rs 67 crore. Political observers feel that for a democratic country whose one third population lives below the poverty line, this paucity of funds does not reflect in the politicians governing it.
And then there are some who are more in touch with the country’s masses. Take RJD MP from Bihar Rajesh Manjhi for example. Not only has he disclosed that he has no assets or income, he is instead Rs 26,000 in debt! The house he lives in is reportedly owned by his mother-in-law.
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