A peek at the assets declared by some of candidates for the May 5 Karnataka elections cutting across party lines show a drastic increase in their income. They are no ordinary candidates but crorepatis making hay in the Assembly elections.
29-year-old Priya Krishna, a Congress candidate form Govindarajangaraj constituency in Bangalore has declared an income of Rs 910 crore, probably one of the richest in the history of Indian politics, is an eligible bachelor and has an avid interest for cars.
Priya Krishna, who was elected from Govindarajangaraj in the 2009 bypoll to the Assembly, is the son of realtor-politician M Krishnappa, popularly known as layout Krishnappa, who is also the sitting MlA from Vijayanagar. Of the Rs 910 crore assets of Priya Krishna, Rs 815 crore are moveable assets, in the form of investments and machinery, while Rs 95 crore are immoveable assets.
Former Congress Minister DK Shivakumar is another notable crorepati candidate from the Congress stable with a declared assets of Rs 251 crores. Shivakumar, contesting from Kanakapura Assembly constituency in Ramanagaram district has assets worth over Rs 251 crore, which include assets of his wife and three children.
With mining barons Santhosh lad and Anil lad contesting from Congress ticket the billionaire club is also swelling. Even though the SC has banned mining of some miners who are contesting are rich and they have doubled their income.
Anil’s cousin Santosh lad, who is seeking re-election from Kalaghatagi constituency in Dharwdad district, ranks third in the list of richest MlA aspirants with assets worth Rs 176.73 crore.
RS member Anil lad has assets worth Rs 230 crore; former Tourism Minister BS Anand Singh, (BJP) has Rs 101 crore; BSR Congress president B Sriramulu Rs 44.54 crore while B Nagendra (Independent) Rs 14.38 crore.
The new members to join the ‘crorepati’ club are Rani Samyukta (BSR Congress), a cousin of Singh with Rs 71.31 crore and Abdul Wahab, a senior Congress leader in the district, who is trying his luck after a gap of nearly two decades has a net worth of Rs 54.36 crore.
A majority of them are either associates of the jailed mining baron G Janardhan Reddy or have had business links with him. Nearly everyone figures in the lokayukta Report on illegal mining, and in the investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
For sitting Shanthinagar MlA from the Congress, NA Haris is worth over Rs 133 crore. Being the Managing Director of Nalapad Group of Companies, Haris and his dependents (including wife and four children), have moveable assets worth over Rs 93 cr and immoveable assets of over Rs 40 cr. Interestingly, none of them own a vehicle as per affidavit. Haris has liabilities of about Rs 3.53 cr.
Former Minister and former Karnataka Congress Committee president RV Deshpande, contesting from Haliyal Assembly constituency, is worth over Rs 113 crore this time, down by about Rs 33 crore declared during the 2008 Assembly polls.
Congress treasurer Shamanur Shivashankarappa who runs a string of educational institutions in Davanagere and is contesting from Davangere South has assets worth over Rs 67 crore in contrast to his party president G Parameshwara whose total assets declared is worth Rs 3.87 crore.
KJ George, also of Congress contesting from Sarvagnanagar here, has assets worth Rs 26.82 crore. Congress has also fielded its councillor B Basavarju, from Hoodi ward in KR Puram constituency whose total worth is also over Rs 26 crore.
KJP’s strongman BS Yeddyurappa’s assents too grew in many folds. His declaration clearly shows that he has grown richer by few crores. The total asset of former Chief Minister and KJP president has increased to Rs 5.97 crore from Rs 1.82 crore declared in the 2008.
JD(S) Karnataka unit president HD Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita have together declared assets worth Rs 123 crore. Kumaraswamy and his wife are contesting from Ramanagaram and Channapatna respectively.
Another JD(S) candidate TN Javarayi Gowda who filed his nominations from Yeshvanthpur in Bangalore has declared his assets worth Rs 150.58 crore. K Bagegowda, a realtor, with net assets worth Rs 212.5 crore. He is contesting from the Basavanagudi Assembly constituency in Bangalore on a JD(S) ticket