Many multi-millionaires to contest polls in Karnataka

Zee Media Bureau

Bangalore: The much-awaited assembly elections in Karnataka will see several multi-millionaire candidates from political parties, including the ruling BJP, Congress and JD-S, contesting against each other in the upcoming polls. As per reports, several super-rich candidates have been given party ticket this time making the crucial electoral exercise in the southern state an interesting affair to watch. As per reports, JD-S Karnataka unit chief and former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita, who will contest the May 5 Assembly elections, have together declared assets worth Rs 123 crore. T N Javarayi Gowda, also a JD-S candidate, topped the list of rich candidates in the fray this year. TN Javarayi Gowda has declared assets worth Rs 150.58 crore. The JD-S is headed by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who filed his nominations from Yeshvanthpur in Bangalore. Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda`s son, and his wife are contesting from Ramanagaram and Channapatna respectively. Close to Javarayi Gowda is Tourism Minister Anand Singh of the BJP who has assets worth over Rs. 104 crore. A car freak, Anand Singh contesting from Vijaynagar from mine-rich Bellary district is stated to possess 25 vehicles including Bentleys, Mercedes Benzes and Tatra trucks. Singh wears two hats, that of an editor of a newspaper, Ananda Karnataka Daily and a mining baron. 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 are worth Rs. 3.87 crore. K J George, also of Congress contesting from Sarvagnanagar, has assets worth Rs. 26.82 crore. Congress has also fielded its councillor from city corporation B Basavarju, from Hoodi ward in K R Puram constituency whose total worth is also over Rs. 26 crore. As against this, former Chief Minister and Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) founder, BS Yeddyurappa has declared his assets to be Rs. 5.96 crore, which is about Rs three crore more than the assets declared by him in 2008 assembly polls. Yeddyurappa, who had to resign as Chief Minister after the Karnataka Lokayukta indicted him in illegal mining, had to spend some time in jail in a graft case. The lingayat strongman`s close aide Haratalu Hallappa, (KJP) contesting from Sorab in Shimoga district, has declared his assets to be worth Rs. 3.52 crore. Industries Minister Murgesh Nirani, facing corruption cases before Lokayukta court, has declared his assets at Rs. 28.14 crore. Nirani is contesting from Bilagi constituency in Raichur district. With PTI inputs