Tamil Nadu industrialist H Vasanthkumar among top 20 MLAs in country with highest income

CHENNAI: Industrialist H Vasanthakumar (66) is among the top 20 sitting MLAs in the country who have declared highest annual income in their election affidavits.  He stands fourth in the list of 20 MLAs in the country with have highest annual income, according to a report released by Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW).  

Vasanthkumar represents Nanguneri Assembly constituency in the State and has declared a total self-income of Rs 24.64 crore . He is the proprietor of Vasanth and Co, one of the largest durable goods retail chains in Tamil Nadu and also the managing director of Vasanth and Co Media Network Private Limited, the ADR report said. 

AIADMK MLA PV Bharathi (57), has the lowest annual income in the State. He has declared an annual self-income of Rs 60,709.  He came 18th in the list of 20 sitting MLAs across the country who have the lowest annual income. 

Of the 234 MLAs elected from the State, the ADR and NEW have analysed the self-declared affidavits for the 2016 Assembly polls filed by 192 MLAs in Tamil Nadu while 33 had not filed their income tax returns. The status of the nine more MLAs is not mentioned in the report.