39 out of 59 newly-elected MLAs in Meghalaya are 'crorepatis': Report

NEW DELHI: THE number of crorepati MLAs in the newly-elected Assemblies of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland has grown from 90 in 2013 to 99, an Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) report said. Tripura elected 15 crorepatis in 2018 as opposed to eight in 2013, Meghalaya sent 36 crorepatis to the Assembly. Fifteen of the 21 Congress legislators have declared assets over `1 crore in Meghalaya. Of the 60 new MLAs elected in Nagaland, 45 are crorepatis.

In Tripura, the average assets of legislators rose from `53.61 to `92.06 lakh in the past five years. Among the three states, the highest assets have been declared by UDP MLA from Mairang in Meghalaya, Metbah Lyngdoh—`87.26 crore. The poorest elected representative is Karbook MLA from the BJP, Burba Mohan Tripura, worth `23,739.

In Nagaland, the richest MLA was NDPP chief Neiphiu Rio with assets worth `36.41 crore. Twelve Tripura MLAs declared criminal charges against them. MLAs with criminal cases against them in Meghalaya and Nagaland are one and two respectively. Ten of the Tripura legislators facing criminal charges are from BJP, and one each from CPI-M and IPFT.

Nagaland elected the oldest legislator, who was above 80 years of age. All three states put together elected only six women MLAs, with Tripura and Meghalaya electing three each. Nagaland, in a repeat of the 2013 polls, did not elect even a single woman MLA.