According to the Bihar government website, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's net worth is ₹1.65 crore. Nitish Kumar has been an advocate of transparency in political life. After coming to power in 2010, he implemented a rule that forced the chief minister, ministers and officials to declare their assets annually, details of which would be available on the government website. Talking about India's richest Chief Ministers, Andhra Pradesh's Chandrababu Naidu tops the list. He declared assets (movable and immovable) worth around ₹931 crore in his election affidavit. Several cases are being investigated against Naidu. He was also arrested in the skill development scam.
Who is the poorest Chief Minister of India?
Before delving deeper into Nitish Kumar's financial situation, let us first know who is the poorest Chief Minister? Mamata Banerjee tops the list of India's poorest Chief Ministers. According to the ADAR report, his net worth is ₹15.38 lakh (approximately $1.538 million). The second poorest Chief Minister is Omar Abdullah of Jammu and Kashmir. According to the ADR report, his net worth is ₹5.5 million. The third poorest Chief Minister of Kerala P. Vijayan, whose net worth is ₹1.18 crore. This puts Nitish Kumar in the middle of the list of poor chief ministers.
Nitish Kumar's wealth
Nitish Kumar owns a 1,000 square feet flat in Delhi's Dwarka. He bought this flat in 2004 before becoming Chief Minister. He has a Ford EcoSport car and 13 cows and 10 calves. In 2023, he declared his net worth at ₹1.64 crore, which means that his wealth increased by around ₹100,000 in a single year. Nitish Kumar is a Chief Minister who is poorer than many of his ministers.
Honesty is an important foundation of politics
Due to his financial transparency and simple lifestyle, Nitish Kumar has established himself as Mr. Dependable in Bihar. Honesty is his political strength and the main reason for his popularity and credibility. In today's politics, it is very important for a leader to be clean. For example, India's richest Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu faced several corruption charges. When Lalu Prasad Yadav was the Chief Minister of Bihar, he was forced to resign and even went to jail due to the fodder scam.
Less wealth and more transparency
Nitish Kumar believes in less wealth and more transparency. He has neither done any business nor invested any large amount anywhere. He is a leader with a clean image. His life has seen ups and downs with wins and losses, but his personal integrity has never been questioned. While his ministers and officials live in luxury, he lives a simple life with minimal expenses.
Even today, Nitish Kumar sleeps on a wooden cot
Two months ago, Bihar government minister Ashok Chaudhary shared an anecdote about Nitish Kumar's simple lifestyle. In an interview he said, “After becoming chief minister, Nitish sleeps on a wooden cot instead of a comfortable bed. His bedroom has only two plastic chairs.” There is a closet for storing luggage. They don't have expensive furniture. About his simplicity, Ashok Chaudhary said, “He was invited for a meal at his home on the occasion of his son Nishant Kumar's birthday. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also sat with him on the floor, and the meal was served on a leaf plate.” They are still attached to the rural environment. His simplicity and honesty set him apart from other leaders.
Similarities between Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar
Like Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar also did not encourage his family in politics. Public service is the ultimate goal of both. Both have simple lifestyle and eating habits. Both advocate honest and transparent politics. Despite spending more than two decades in politics, neither has been accused of corruption. So, this pair is proving to be a hit in politics.
