The Lokayukta has, in a release, identified 29 MLAs and three MLCs who have not made their assets public. The release, signed by Lokayukta Registrar H.R. Deshpande, said that all 32 legislators were alerted on July 1 about their non-compliance with the Lokayukta directive.
The list includes the names of Y.S.V. Datta and Leader of Opposition H.D. Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal(S), Housing Minister M.H. Ambareesh, Roshan Baig and Mohiuddin Bava of the Congress, farmer leader and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha MLA K.S. Puttanaiah, Samajwadi Party MLA C.P. Yogeshwar and MLA Ashok Kheny of the Karnataka Makkala Paksha.
The ruling Congress and the Janata Dal(S) have 12 MLAs each who have failed to declare their assets before the Lokayukta. One MLA each from the KJP, the BJP and the Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha are part of the list.
The three MLCs are Raghunath Rao Malkapure, Tara of the BJP and Syed Mudheer Aga of the Janata Dal(S).
In the recent years, the declaration made before the Lokayukta has assumed significance after several activists went to court against elected representatives pointing to discrepancies in the declarations made before the Election Commission and the Lokayukta.
Section 22 (1) of the Karnataka Lokayukta Act 1984 stipulates that every public servant other than a government servant shall declare their asset and liabilities as well as those of their family members before June 30 every year.
