Country’s poorest CM: Mamata declares 76k cash in hand, 9.8g gold, 15.4 L asset ahead of West Bengal elections 2026

KOLKATA: With Rs 75,700 cash in hand, 9.8 g gold jewellery and a total asset value of Rs 15.4 lakh, Mamata Banerjee — who was the country's poorest chief minister last year by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) — has a total income of Rs 23.2 lakh, as is shown in her election affidavit submitted on Wednesday.

Compared with the election affidavit submitted in 2021, Banerjee's income has risen by Rs 8 lakh only in the past five years. It does not show any significant change in her total assets.

Banerjee, who is again contesting from the Bhowanipore Assembly constituency, does not own any vehicle or property, according to her self-sworn affidavit filed before the Election Commission of India.

According to the affidavit, her income for 2024-25 was Rs 23.2 lakh. In 2023-24, Banerjee earned Rs 20.7 lakh. In the previous year, her income was, however, a bit more at Rs 38.1 lakh.

During the 2021 polls, among the 31 chief ministers in the country, Banerjee had the lowest asset, amounting to a little over Rs 15 lakh, according to a report published by the Association for Democratic Reforms. During the 2016 Assembly polls, her assets were worth Rs 30.4 lakh. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu topped the 2021 list with the highest declared assets, amounting to more than Rs 931 crore. Banerjee was followed by Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah, with assets worth Rs 55 lakh. Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had assets worth Rs 1 crore.

A seven-time MP and four-time MLA, Banerjee is eligible to get a salary as an MLA and also a healthy pension for her tenure as an MP. However, she has publicly acknowledged that she draws neither the salary nor the pension. The only income shown in her affidavit is from the royalty for her books and interest earned from bank deposits.

At the time of submitting the affidavit, she had Rs 75,700 in cash. She has a personal account in Indian Bank, which has Rs 12.4 lakh. There is another account in the same bank for election expenses, containing only Rs 40,000. In total, the amount in her bank accounts is nearly Rs 13 lakh.

Banerjee has also submitted that the 9.7 g gold jewellery in her possession is valued at Rs 1,45,000 and her total immovable assets are worth around Rs 15.4 lakh. She does not own any agricultural or non-agricultural land or a house in her name. She has no loan either. The chief minister also has no criminal case pending against her. An MA from the University of Calcutta, she also holds an LLB degree.