The recently concluded Bihar Assembly Elections have revealed striking economic disparities among the winning candidates, with asset declarations ranging from a modest ₹6 lakh to an astonishing ₹170 crore, according to a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).
Massive Wealth Gap Among Winning Candidates
The election watchdog's analysis of the 243 victorious candidates shows a dramatic financial divide in Bihar's political landscape. The total declared assets of all winning candidates amount to ₹2,192.93 crores, painting a picture of significant wealth concentration among elected representatives.
At the bottom of the wealth spectrum stands Murari Pasavan from Bhagalpur, whose declared assets of slightly over ₹6 lakh represent the lowest among all winners. He is closely followed by two other BJP candidates in the low-asset category - Mahesh Paswan from Bhojpur's Agiaon constituency with approximately ₹8 lakh in assets, and Sujeet Kumar with declared wealth exceeding ₹11 lakhs.
The Crorepati Club Dominates Bihar Politics
In stark contrast to the poorest winners, the wealthiest candidates have declared assets running into hundreds of crores. Kumar Pranay from BJP leads the pack with declared assets worth over ₹170 crore, making him the richest among all winning candidates.
Following closely is Mokama's influential figure Anant Singh, popularly known as 'Chote Sarkar', with total assets exceeding ₹100 crore. The third position is held by Dr Kumar Puspanjay from Barbigha constituency, who has declared assets valued at more than ₹94 crores.
The ADR report highlights that a significant majority of winning candidates are crorepatis, reflecting the substantial financial resources required to contest and win elections in Bihar.
Party-wise Analysis of Winners' Wealth
The breakdown by political parties reveals interesting patterns in the financial profiles of winning candidates:
Janata Dal (United) leads in crorepati percentage with 78 out of 85 winners (92%) falling in this category. The average assets per JD(U) winning candidate stand at ₹9.53 Crores.
Bharatiya Janata Party, which emerged as the largest party with 89 seats, has 77 of its 89 winners (87%) as crorepatis. The average assets for BJP winning candidates total ₹8.68 Crore.
Rashtriya Janata Dal shows the highest crorepati percentage at 96%, with 24 of its 25 winners belonging to this category. However, their average assets are lower at ₹5.80 Crores.
Surprisingly, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) candidates have the highest average assets at ₹13.66 Crore, despite winning only 19 seats.
The election results announced on Friday, November 14, 2025, saw the NDA securing a sweeping victory in the state. The BJP emerged as the single largest party with 89 seats, followed by JD(U) with 85 seats, RJD with 25 seats, and LJP(RV) with 19 seats.
This comprehensive analysis of candidates' wealth declarations provides crucial insights into the economic background of those who will shape Bihar's political future for the coming years.
