CM Sukhu: My assets have decreased since taking office
Synopsis
Himachal Pradesh CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has declared his assets decreased after becoming Chief Minister, saying details will appear in his next election affidavit, and challenged the BJP to approach the ED and CBI if it has doubts.
Key Takeaways
CM Sukhu claims his personal assets have decreased since taking office in December 2022 .
He says full asset details will be disclosed in the upcoming election affidavit ahead of the 2027 Himachal Pradesh assembly elections .
He invoked the Supreme Court's 2002 ruling and Election Commission rules making asset disclosure mandatory and legally binding.
Sukhu explicitly challenged the BJP to seek information from the ED and CBI if it has doubts.
His previous election affidavits have been public and, he says, already scrutinised — with no new assets declared.
In a pointed rebuttal to the opposition, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu declared on Wednesday, 29 July 2026 that his personal wealth has actually shrunk since he assumed office — and challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party to take its doubts straight to the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Posting in Hindi on X, CM Sukhu said: 'My assets have decreased since becoming Chief Minister. The complete details will also be recorded in the upcoming election affidavit. Providing correct and complete information about one's assets during elections is mandatory, so no incorrect information can be given in it. My election affidavits have been public earlier too and have been scrutinised. My assets are already declared. There is no new asset in this. Anyone can earn money through hard work and honesty. If the BJP has any doubt about my assets, it can get the information from the ED and CBI.'
The affidavit guarantee — and why it matters
Sukhu's defence rests on a legal architecture that has governed Indian elections for over two decades. Following the Supreme Court's landmark 2002 judgment in Union of India v. Association for Democratic Reforms and subsequent Election Commission orders from 2003 onward, every candidate contesting an election must file a sworn affidavit disclosing assets, liabilities, and criminal antecedents. Perjury on that form carries serious legal consequences — which is precisely the guarantee Sukhu is invoking.
His point is blunt: the next affidavit, expected ahead of the 2027 Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, will be a public, legally binding document. If numbers don't add up, anyone can challenge them. He is, in effect, daring the opposition to wait and watch.
BJP allegations and the ED-CBI dare
Himachal Pradesh politics has long run on this cycle — whichever party sits in opposition routinely raises asset-growth allegations against the ruling chief minister, and the ruling side points back to public disclosures. What sharpens Sukhu's response this time is the explicit redirect to central investigative agencies. By naming the ED and CBI himself, he pre-empts any suggestion that he fears a probe, flipping the political pressure back onto the BJP.
The exact figures of his asset position — both before and after taking office in December 2022 — have not been independently verified, and Sukhu himself has not cited specific numbers in this post. The full picture will only emerge when the next election affidavit is formally filed.
Until that document lands, Sukhu has done what seasoned politicians do when cornered by asset questions: he pointed to the one instrument the law requires him to be honest about — and told his critics to read it.
Point of View
He shifts the burden of proof onto the BJP while signalling confidence that a formal ED or CBI inquiry would find nothing. The move fits a broader Congress pattern in Himachal Pradesh of using institutional transparency frameworks to blunt opposition asset allegations. The real test arrives with the 2027 affidavit — if declared assets show any growth, the BJP will have a concrete number to contest; if they show a decline, Sukhu's claim is validated on the public record. Either way, he has raised the political stakes of that document considerably.
NationPress
29 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Has CM Sukhu's wealth increased or decreased since becoming Chief Minister?
Sukhu himself has stated that his assets have decreased since he became Chief Minister in December 2022 , and says the details will be confirmed in his next election affidavit. Exact figures have not been independently verified.
What is an election affidavit and why is it important?
An election affidavit is a sworn document that every candidate in India must file disclosing assets, liabilities, and criminal cases. It became mandatory following a Supreme Court judgment in 2002 and Election Commission orders from 2003 . Filing false information is a punishable offence.
Why did Sukhu mention the ED and CBI in his post?
Sukhu challenged the BJP to approach the Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation if it has doubts about his assets — a move widely read as signalling he has no fear of a formal federal probe.
When are the next Himachal Pradesh assembly elections?
The next Himachal Pradesh assembly elections are expected in 2027 . Sukhu's next asset affidavit will be filed ahead of that election and will be a public document.
Has Sukhu faced asset-related allegations before?
Asset scrutiny of sitting chief ministers is a recurring feature of Himachal Pradesh politics, with the Congress and BJP trading such allegations across power cycles. Sukhu notes his earlier affidavits have already been made public and examined.
