AIADMK MLA Leema Rose Martin topped not only the state list but also the national chart. Her wealth is linked to the influential Martin family, widely known in business and political circles as the 'Lottery King' family.
Tamil Nadu emerged as the state with the wealthiest legislators among the major states that went to polls this year.
The 2026 Assembly elections offered a revealing snapshot of the vast wealth disparities among India’s elected legislators. From billionaire politicians to MLAs declaring assets worth barely a few thousand rupees, affidavits analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) highlighted the sharp financial contrasts shaping state politics.
Richest candidate
Tamil Nadu emerged as the state with the wealthiest legislators among the major states that went to polls this year. AIADMK MLA Leema Rose Martin topped not only the state list but also the national chart, declaring assets worth an astonishing Rs 5,863 crore. Her wealth is linked to the influential Martin family, widely known in business and political circles as the “Lottery King” family. She won from the Lalgudi assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu.
She was followed by BJP MLA Dilip Saha from West Bengal, who emerged as the richest legislator in the state Assembly. Elected from Nabagram in Murshidabad district, Saha declared assets worth Rs 43.03 crore, including extensive movable and immovable properties.
In Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister Vijay was the second-richest MLA in the state, with declared assets of nearly Rs 649 crore. ADR data showed that Tamil Nadu’s average MLA assets stood at Rs 48.34 crore, making it the wealthiest Assembly among the states that voted in 2026.
Poorest candidate
At the opposite end of the spectrum stood BJP MLA Nirmal Kumar Dhara from West Bengal, who reportedly declared assets worth just around Rs 1,700, making him one of the poorest legislators in the country.
Dhara won the Indus (SC) Assembly seat, defeating candidates from the Trinamool Congress, CPI(M), Congress and several Independents. His remarkably low declared assets drew widespread attention following the election results.
The 2026 polls also marked a political turning point in West Bengal, where the BJP registered a historic victory, ending decades of Trinamool Congress dominance. Despite the dramatic political shift, ADR data showed Bengal continued to have the lowest average MLA wealth among the major states that went to polls.
In Kerala, CPI(M) MLA P P Sumod was identified as the poorest elected legislator, declaring assets worth around Rs 9.9 lakh in his affidavit. At the same time, the state witnessed a steep increase in overall legislator wealth. According to ADR and Kerala Election Watch, the average assets of winning candidates in Kerala have nearly doubled since the 2021 election, reaching close to Rs 7 crore in 2026.
While the richest MLA in Kerala was not prominently highlighted in mainstream ADR summaries, several legislators in the state reportedly declared assets worth hundreds of crores.Assam too saw many crorepati MLAs elected in 2026, continuing the broader national trend of rising wealth among legislators. Though detailed state-wise rankings of the richest and poorest MLAs in Assam are yet to be widely published, ADR data indicated that most winning candidates in the state possessed significant financial assets.