Assets and criminal cases: What ADR report reveals about Northeast chief ministers
An ADR report has mapped the assets, liabilities and criminal cases declared by chief ministers, with several from the Northeast featuring prominently. The data places Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu among the country's richest and highlights wider trends across India.
Assets and criminal cases: What ADR report reveals about Northeast chief ministers
- Jul 30, 2026,
- Updated Jul 30, 2026, 5:11 PM IST
- Nagaland's Neiphiu Rio ranks fifth nationally with Rs 46.95 crore assets
- Himanta Biswa Sarma declared Rs 35.16 crore assets and substantial liabilities
- Sikkim, Mizoram and Manipur chief ministers reported comparatively lower declared assets
Four chief ministers from the Northeast feature prominently in the latest analysis of assets declared by India's sitting chief ministers, with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu emerging as the richest among them and the fourth wealthiest in the country, according to a report released by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
The report, based on self-sworn election affidavits of all 31 chief ministers from 28 states and three Union Territories, shows that Pema Khandu has declared assets worth Rs 332.56 crore, making him one of only four billionaire chief ministers in India.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio ranks fifth nationally with declared assets of Rs 46.95 crore, followed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has assets worth Rs 35.16 crore. Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has declared assets of Rs 14.06 crore, while Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha reported assets worth Rs 13.90 crore.
The report also highlights liabilities declared by chief ministers. Pema Khandu has liabilities amounting to Rs 180.27 crore, the second highest in the country after Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. Himanta Biswa Sarma ranks third, with declared liabilities of Rs 16.86 crore.
Among other northeastern chief ministers, Sikkim Chief Minister PS Tamang has declared assets worth Rs 6.69 crore, while Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma has assets of Rs 4.13 crore. Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh has declared assets worth Rs 2.38 crore.
The ADR analysis found that the average assets of India's chief ministers stand at Rs 118.07 crore, with four chief ministers classified as billionaires. Collectively, the 31 chief ministers have declared assets worth Rs 3,660 crore, while the average self-income declared is Rs 6.54 crore.
The report also noted that 14 of the 31 chief ministers (45 per cent) have declared criminal cases against themselves, while 11 (35 per cent) have disclosed serious criminal cases. Overall, 97 per cent of the country's chief ministers are men, with only one woman chief minister currently in office.
