The richest MPs in the Rajya Sabha

Image: Rahul Bajaj

The Rajya Sabha has 250 members. It was intended to be the House of elders, based on the Westminster model. Traditionally industrialists and business magnates have favoured the Upper House as means of furthering their political ambitions.

A list compiled by the Association for Democratic Reforms reveals that the Rajya Sabha has its fair share of millionaires (crorepatis).

Rahul Bajaj

The man who gave India its wheels and successfully managed to increase his production during the licence-raj of the 70's and 80's. His grand father Jamnalal Bajaj was the treasurer of the Congress party in pre-independence India.

Rahul Bajaj has been listed with assets totaling 300 crores. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2006 from Maharashtra as an independent candidate who was supported by the Nationlist Congress Party and the Shiv-Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine. He won the seat that was vacant after Pramod Mahajan passed away.

MAM Ramaswamy -The winner of 500 derbys

Image: Dr. MAM Ramaswamy

The scion of the Chettiar Dynasty in Tamil Nadu, Ramaswamy is a industrialist who is known for his love of horses. Famous as the man who owned 500 derby winners, Ramaswamy has been a perennial contender for the Rajya Sabha seat from his home state of TAmil Nadu.

Initially he was supposed to be elected to the Rajya Sabha in the mid 90's on a Congress ticket, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagham had even recommended his name as a nominated member in the upper house, but his name was struck down by then President Shankar Dayal Sharma.

Ramaswamy is the maternal uncle of home minister P Chidambaram and runs Chettinad Cements and Anna university.

He represents the Janata Dal (Secular) from Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha.

T Subbarami Reddy: The host with the most

Image: T Subbarami Reddy

A film producer who has been a member of both houses of Parliament, Reddy is known for the parties he hosts, which are the talk of the town in Delhi, Hyderabd and Mumbai.

Reddy is a Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh. He also headed the Gayatri Group, a diversified conglomerate that has interests in construction and sugar.

Reddy has also served as minister of state in the ministry of Mines in the previous United Progressive Alliance government.

Jaya Bachchan

Image: Jaya Bachchan

The actress and Samajawadi party MP is the fourth richest person in the Upper house. She is the wife of bollywood actor Amitabh Bachchan.

She was in the news recently when close friend and political mentor Amar Singh was dismissed from the Samajwadi Party. Bachchan also had to resign from the Rajya Sabha previously over the office of profit issue.

Although she lives in Mumbai, Jaya Bachchan represents UP in the Rajya Sabha.

Anil Lad

Image: Anil Lad

The Congress's answer to the Bharatiya Janta Party's Reddy brothers. This mine owner's family has a long history of politics.

His father, Heeroji Lad was the MLA for the district.

Lad was formerly with the the BJP but switched to the Congress in 2006 and was elected to the Rajya Sabha in that year.

Amar Singh

Image: Amar Singh

The former Samajwadi Party general secretary was instrumental getting the Samajwadi Party to support the United Progressive Alliance during the Nuclear bill trust vote. He was considered to be Mulayam Singh's point man in the Rajya Sabha.

An industrialist who has interests in chemicals and hydro-electricity, Singh was always in the news for hobnobbing with filmstar Amitabh Bachchan and industrialist Anil Ambani.

Mahendra Mohan Gupta: The newspaper baron

Image: Mahendra Mohan Gupta

Mahendra Mohan Gupta is a Samajwadi Party MP from uttar Pradesh. He is the Chairman of the Dainik Jagran group of newspapers, which are the widest read Hindi language newpapers in the country.

Dr Karan Singh-The last King of Kashmir

Image: Dr Karan Singh

The last Raja of Kashmir, Dr Karan Singh is a Congressman who has previously served as union Minister in the 70's and 80's.

A member of the Rajya Sabha from Delhi since 1996, Singh has also served as Chancellor of Jawaharlal Nehru University , Delhi and Benaras Hindu University. He is a former Indian Ambassador to the Unted States.

Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta- The education baron

Image: Dr Akhilesh Das Gupta

The son of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Banarasi Das Gupta, Gupta is an education baron who runs 4 colleges in Uttar Pradesh.

He represents the Bahujan Samaj Party in the Rajya Sabha after switching parties. He was a minister of State for mines in the previous United Progressive Alliance government.

Parimal Nathwani- Mukesh Ambani's nominee

Image: Parimal Nathwani

A close confidant of Reliance Industries owner Mukesh Ambani, Nathwani was eleceted to the Rajya Sabha from Jharkhand as an Independent.

Nathwani held several snior positions in Reliance and is the point man of the company in Gujarat. His election is believed to be a counter weight to the Samajwadi Party's Amar Singh who seen as being close to Anil Ambani.

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