Bengaluru: Over 95 per cent of the MLAs of poll-bound Karnataka are crorepatis with average assets per sitting MLA valued at Rs 29.85 crore, a report released by poll watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has revealed. The Congress is leading in average assets by recording Rs 48.58 crore with three of its MLAs featuring in the top-three high asset-holder list. The party's DK Shivakumar holds the highest valued assets of over Rs 840 crore followed by Suresh BS and M Krishnappa with Rs 416 crore and Rs 236 crore respectively.
ADR has analysed the financial, criminal and other background details of 219 of the 224 sitting MLAs of Karnataka. Its report stated that 209 out of 219 sitting MLAs are crorepatis. Of which, Congress has the highest 97 per cent of crorepati MLAs. BJP has 95 per cent crorepatis, holding average assets of Rs 19.6 crore and in Janata Dal (Secular) 93 per cent MLAs are crorepatis with average assets amounting to Rs 4.34 crore. All the four independent MLAs are crorepatis and have average assets amounting to Rs 40.92 crore. The report has further revealed that two BJP MLAs and one Congress MLA have the lowest assets. They are BJP's Harshvardhan B and SA Ramadas with 22 lakh and 39 lakh respectively and Congress's Sowmya R with 54 lakhs.
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The ADR report also stated that Congress's Shamanur Shivashankarappa from Devanagere South constituency filed the highest income tax amounting to Rs 7.94 crore in 2016-17. The two others in the top-three list of MLAs filing highest income tax are Congress's NA Haris (7.04 crore) and S Subba Reddy (6.29 crore).
