Gujarat's Dalit face Mevani "poorest" MLA in new state assembly, ex-BJP minister Saurabh Patel richest: ADR

By A Representative
Gujarat's Dalit face, Jignesh Mevani, who fought and won as Independent with Congress support from Vadgam with a comfortable margin of over 19,000 votes, is the poorest MLA of the 182 legislators who were elected to the state assembly in the just concluded polls. While Mevani's assets value Rs 10.50 lakh, the richest MLA (Botad) is former BJP minister Saurabh Patel, having total assets worth Rs 123.79 crore.
An analysis of assets of and criminal cases against all the 182 MLAs, carried out by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) on the basis of the affidavits they submitted before the Election Commission of India, says that out of the 182 MLAs analysed, 47 (26%) MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves, as against 57 (31%) among those who won in the Gujarat Assembly elections in 2012, 57 (31%)
The number of MLAs with "serious criminal cases" has also gone down, says the analysis. Thus, this time 33 (18%) MLAs have declared serious criminal cases including cases related to murder, attempt to murder, dacoity, robbery etc. though during Gujarat Assembly elections in 2012, 24 (13%) MLAs had declared serious criminal cases against themselves.

While two MLAs, Maheshbhai Vasava (Bhartiya Tribal Party) and Bhaveshbhai Katara (Congress) have declared cases related to murder (IPC section 302), six MLAs with declared cases related to attempt to murder, 6 MLAs have declared cases related to attempt to murder (IPC Section 307).
Further, says the analysis, one MLA namely Jethabhai Bharwad (BJP) from Shehra constituency has declared case related to rape (IPC Section 376) against himself, adding, 18 out of 99 MLAs from BJP, 25 out of 77 MLAs from INC, one of the two MLAs from the Bhartiya Tribal Party, the lone Nationalist Congress Party MLA, and two of the three Independent MLAs have declared criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.
Further, says the analysis, 12 BJP MLAs, 17 (22%) out of 17 Congress MLAs, one MLA each from the Bhartiya Tribal Party and the Nationalist Congress Party, two Independent MLAs have declared serious criminal cases against themselves in their affidavits.

The analysis further says that out of the 182 newly elected MLAs, 141 (77%) are crorepatis, as against 134 (74%) MLAs who were elected in the 2012 polls, adding, partywise crorepati details show that 84 BJP and 54 Congress MLAs have declared assets valued more than Rs 1 crore.
The average of assets per MLA in the Gujarat 2017 assembly elections is Rs. 8.46 crore, the analysis says, adding in 2012, the average assets MLAs analyzed was Rs 8.03 crore. Partywise details show that verage assets per MLA for 99 BJP MLAs analysed is Rs 10.64 crore, as against Rs 5.85 crore for 77 Congress MLAs. The two Bhartiya Tribal Party MLAs have average assets worth Rs 2.71 crore, and three Independent MLAs have average assets of Rs. 53.86 lakh.
Following Saurabh Patel, who belongs to the well-known Ambani family, those who have next highest assets are BJP's Dhanjibhai Patel (Makson), who won from Wadhwan (Rs 113.47 crore), and Congress' Jawaharbhai Chavda, who won from Manavadar (Rs 103.67 crore).

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog