With Karnataka Assembly elections fast approaching, the campaigns are getting more fiery with every passing day.
Before the ballots are in and winners are chosen, let us take a look at the richest candidates from across parties in the two poll-bound state.
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According to data analysed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 42 per cent or 1087 of the sitting MLAs of Karnataka are crorepatis. Meanwhile, in the 2018 Karnataka Assembly Elections, out of 2560 candidates, 883 (35 per cent) were crorepatis.
The report showed that out of the 2586 candidates analysed, 592 had assets worth Rs 5 crores and above; 272 had assets worth Rs 2 crores to Rs 5 crores; 493 had assets worth Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 2 crores; 578 had assets worth Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 50 lakhs; and 546 had assets worth Rs 10 lakhs to Rs 50,000.
Meanwhile, 105 candidates had assets worth under Rs 50,000 — out of which, 22 had declared assets worth less that Rs 10,000.
The report added that among the major parties, 215 (97 per cent) out of 221 candidates analysed from INC, 216 (96 per cent) out of 224 candidates analysed from BJP, 170 (82 per cent) out of 208 candidates analysed from JD(S) and 107 (51 per cent) out of 208 candidates analysed from AAP have declared assets valued over Rs 1 crore.
The average of assets per candidate contesting in the elections this year is Rs 12.26 crores.
The richest candidate in the state is Yousuf Shariff, contesting from the Chickpet constituency as an Independent candidate, with movable and immovable assets worth over Rs 1633 crore. Following close behind is a BJP candidate from Hosakote with assets worth Rs 1609 crore to his name. Congress's D K Shivakumar contesting from the Kanakapura constituency comes third on the list having declared assets worth over Rs 1413 crore.
On the other end of the spectrum, there are 14 candidates who have declared zero assets.
Meanwhile, candidates with the lowest assets (excluding those with zero declared assets) include Gurusiddappa Basalingappa Toggi from Ramdurg constituency with a net worth of just over Rs 500; Kalid Khan from Byatarayanapura constituency with assets worth Rs 1,019; and E H Nayak from Maski constituency with assets worth Rs 5,000 to his name.