Who says India is poor? Our politicians are certainly not!

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati is growing richer by the year. Last year, her income was estimated at an impressive Rs 52 crore, while she has already grossed Rs 60 crore and is expected to close the fiscal with an even bigger kitty.

Till the December quarter, the Dalit leader had paid Rs 15 crore advance tax. At 33% income tax slab, this works out to an income of around Rs 45 crore. If the trend continues between December 15, when the last instalment of advance tax was paid, and March 31, 2008, she could end the year with an income of Rs 60 crore.

Indeed, if the turnout at her January 15 birthday bash is any indication, she could close the year with a much higher income. BSP chief has attributed her remarkable financial rise to 'gifts' from her generous supporters.

Based on her Rs 9.7 crore payout on December 15, Mayawati was already ranked 18th in the all-India individual taxpayers category, a remarkable rise for the former government schoolteacher. And based on her payments till December, which amounted to Rs 15 crore, she was placed 19th.

She is ranked a few notches below Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in the advance tax list. Not only is Mayawati's income more than that of any politician, she ranks higher than the Ambani brothers, Birlas, Bachchans, Ratan Tata and Infosys' Nandan Nilekani.
Kumaramangalam Birla trails the Dalit leader, at 57th place, while the richest cricketer, 'Master Blaster' Tendulkar is a distant 85th. Aamir Khan is placed even farther, at a not-so-impressive 123rd.

Mayawati's explanation about the turnaround in her fortunes may appear a fairy tale to many, but was accepted last year by the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal which legitimized her claim. The script is likely to remain the same this year as well. More so, she is in power now.

Though the finance ministry usually does not get into proving the source of income of individuals, it has in Mayawati's case, as in many other instances earlier, shown its readiness to examine the veracity of her claim.

Mayawati in her statements before the taxmen and to the CBI, which is investigating her in a disproportionate assets case, had claimed that her supporters had given her large amounts of cash and pledged their personal properties out of "love and affection" and for the welfare of the downtrodden and the Dalits.
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