The assets declared by political leaders as part of their affidavits, accompanying their nominations filed across the State on Monday, showed that there are several crorepatis in fray for the May 5 Assembly polls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Janata Dal (Secular) and Indian National Congress all have ultra-rich candidates contesting.
T.N. Javarayi Gowda filing nomination from Yeshwantpur, is richer than his party president H.D. Kumaraswamy. While Mr. Gowda’s assets are worth over Rs. 150 crore, that of Mr. Kumarasway and his wife Anitha Kumaraswamy, who are contesting from Ramanagaram and Channapatna, respectively, are together worth Rs. 123 crore.
Tourism Minister Anand Singh’s total assets of over 104 crore, includes a battery of 25 vehicles including Bentleys, Mercedes Benzes and Tatra trucks, the latter explained by the fact that the 47-year-old is also the owner of multiple mines in Bellary district. Mr. Singh happens also to be an editor of a newspaper, Ananda Karnataka Daily, and is again testing his luck from Vijayanagara constituency in Bellary district on BJP ticket. Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani is worth over Rs. 28 crore while Agriculture Minister Umesh Katti’s total assets are worth over Rs. 14 crore.
Congress treasurer Shamanur Shivashankarappa is financially stronger than (Rs. 67.89 crore) Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G. Parameshwara, whose total declared worth is about Rs. 3.87 crore. Congress has also fielded Byrati Basavaraju, councillor of Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike from Hoodi ward, to contest from K.R. Puram constituency whose total worth is over Rs. 26 crore.
On the other hand, the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa is worth about Rs. 5.9 crore, according to his official declaration, and has grown richer by about Rs. 3 crore since 2008 Assembly elections.
Mudigere BJP candidate and sitting MLA M.P. Kumaraswamy’s status from ‘single’ in the 2008 affidavit has changed to ‘married’ in the present affidavit after this ‘most eligible bachelor’ got married to an assistant engineer in minor irrigation department. His assets grown by 13 times since 2008, from about Rs. 12 lakh to about Rs. 1.65 crore.
