K'taka polls: Kumaraswamy, wife are richest couple in the fray

Together declared assets worth Rs 123 cr; the list topped by T N Javarayi Gowda with assets of Rs 150.58 cr

JD-S state president HD Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita have together declared assets worth Rs 123 crore before poll authorities for the May 5 elections.

With assets of Rs 150.58 crore, the list of rich candidates is topped by T N Javarayi Gowda, also from the JD-S headed by former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, who filed his nominations from Yeshvanthpur in Bangalore yesterday.

Kumaraswamy, Gowda's son, and his wife are contesting from Ramanagaram and Channapatna respectively.

Many multi-millionaires are in the field from the BJP, JD-S and Congress, asset declarations by candidates as part of their affidavits filed along with their nomination papers show.

Close to Javarayi Gowda is tourism minister Anand Singh of the BJP who has assets worth over Rs 104 crore.

A car freak, Singh contesting from Vijaynagar from iron ore-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 as 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 is worth Rs 3.87 crore.

KJ George, also of Congress contesting from Sarvagnanagar (Bangalore city), has assets worth Rs 26.82 crore. The Congress has also fielded its councillor from city civic body Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) B Basavarju from Hoodi ward in KR Puram constituency whose total worth is over Rs 26 crore.

As against this, former chief minister and Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) founder, B S Yeddyurappa has declared his assets to be Rs 5.96 crore, which is about Rs 3 crore more than the assets declared by him in the 2008 Assembly polls.

Yeddyurappa, who had to resign as chief minister after the Karnataka Lok Ayukta indicted him in illegal mining, had to spend some time in jail in a graft case.

The lingayat strongman's man Friday, Haratalu Hallappa (KJP) contesting from Sorab in Shimoga district, has declared assets worth Rs 3.52 crore.

Industries minister Murgesh Nirani, who is facing corruption cases before Lokayukta court, has declared his assets at Rs 28.14 crore. Nirani is contesting from the Bilagi constituency in Raichur district.