97% MLAs crorepatis in Karnataka's new Assembly, 55% have criminal records

In the recently elected Karnataka Assembly, 97 per cent of winning candidates are crorepatis, and their average declared assets are worth Rs 64.39 crore, an analysis by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) said.

The ADR report analyses the criminal history, financial status, education, gender, and other factors of the winners.

“Out of the 223 winning candidates analysed, 217 (97 per cent) are crorepatis. Out of the 221 MLAs analysed after the Karnataka Assembly elections in 2018, 215 (97 per cent) were crorepatis," the report said.

The average assets of the MLAs witnessed a rise of nearly Rs 30 crore from Rs 34.59 crore in 2018 to Rs 64.39 crore in 2013, the report said.

Political parties and their wealth

For the Congress, 132 of its 134 winners examined are crorepatis with an average declared wealth of Rs 67.13 crore.

As for the BJP, 63 of its 66 winners have assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, with an average net worth of Rs 44.36 crore.

Meanwhile, 18 out of 19 Janata Dal (Secular) winners are crorepatis, with an average net worth of Rs 46.01 crore.

The report further states that only two winning candidates had declared assets below Rs 50 lakh, ten between Rs 50 lakh and Rs two crore, 31 between Rs two crore and Rs five crore, and 180 above Rs five crore.

Richest and poorest candidates

According to the report, chief ministership aspirant DK Shivakumar is the richest winning candidate, with assets worth Rs 1,413 crore, followed by K H Puttuswamy, the independent from Gauribidanur, with Rs 1,267 crore.

BJP’s Bhagirathi Murulya, a Sullia-based winning candidate, has the lowest asset of Rs 28 lakh.

Another BJP winner, TS Srivatsa, from Krishnaraja, is second last in the list of richest winning candidates, with Rs 48 lakh.

A total of 93 were re-elected: 51 from the Congress, 38 from the BJP and four from the JD(S). Their average wealth increased from Rs 29.03 crore to Rs 71.52 crore from Rs 42.48 crore in 2018. The assets of re-elected MLAs have increased by 68 per cent on an average.

Criminal offences

In their poll affidavits, 71 of the winning candidates declared having serious criminal cases. Of the 134 members of Congress, 40 (30 per cent) have admitted to serious criminal offences. In comparison, seven of the 19 (37 per cent) JD(S) winners and 23 of the 66 (35 per cent) BJP winners are charged in serious criminal cases.

With 122 winning candidates (50 per cent) having declared criminal cases against them, 51 additional candidates have non-serious cases against them.