India's Richest Chief Ministers In 2026: Southern States Account For 84% Of Total Assets

Recent data from the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and election affidavits show that chief ministers from the southern states and the Union Territory of Puducherry account for nearly 84% of the total assets declared by all chief ministers across India.

According to the data, the combined declared assets of chief ministers across all states and union territories amount to approximately Rs 3,613 crore. Of this, chief ministers from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Telangana, and Puducherry alone account for around Rs 3,028 crore, highlighting the significant concentration of wealth among political leaders in southern India.

List Of The Richest Chief Ministers In India In 2026

The list is topped by Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar of the Indian National Congress (INC), who has declared total assets worth about Rs 1,413 crore. His election affidavit shows Rs 1,140 crore in immovable assets and Rs 273 crore in movable assets, a sharp increase from the Rs 840 crore he declared in 2018. A major part of this growth is attributed to the appreciation of real estate values in and around Bengaluru, one of India's fastest-growing metropolitan regions.

The second spot is held by Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), with declared assets of approximately Rs 931 crore. Unlike many politicians whose wealth is largely tied to land holdings, Naidu's fortune is closely linked to Heritage Foods, one of India's leading dairy and food-processing companies.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay of the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) ranks third on the list with declared assets worth around Rs 624 crore. The actor-turned-politician has accumulated much of his wealth through a successful career in the Tamil film industry, as well as investments in real estate and rental properties. More than Rs 313 crore of his assets are held in bank deposits, including Rs 213 crore in savings accounts and Rs 100 crore in fixed deposits.

Among the other southern chief ministers, Puducherry Chief Minister N. Rangasamy of the All India N.R. Congress (AINRC) has declared assets of about Rs 27 crore, while Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has reported assets worth around Rs 30 crore. In contrast, Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has declared assets of approximately Rs 6 crore, making him one of the least wealthy chief ministers in the country.

Outside southern India, the fourth and fifth positions on the list are occupied by Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, respectively. Pema Khandu has declared total assets of around Rs 332 crore. His wealth is largely linked to family-owned businesses, extensive land holdings, and long-term investments accumulated over several decades. Neiphiu Rio, meanwhile, has declared family assets worth approximately Rs 46-47 crore. Compared with Khandu, Rio's wealth is more modest and is primarily concentrated in land holdings, residential properties, and family assets built over generations.