Karnataka elects more crorepatis and candidates with criminal records this year than 2013
Karnataka Elections 2018Politics

Karnataka elects more crorepatis and candidates with criminal records this year than 2013

Among the elected candidates, 54 (24%) are facing serious criminal cases, including kidnapping, rape among others, compared to 39 (17%) in 2013.

   
BJP party workers in Bengaluru

BJP party workers offer milk to cut-outs of Narendra Modi and B.S. Yeddyurappa in Bengaluru | PTI

Among the elected candidates, 54 are facing serious criminal cases compared to 39 in the last assembly polls in 2013.

New Delhi: Of the 221 candidates who won in the Karnataka assembly polls — the results of which were declared Tuesday — 215 are crorepatis compared to 203 elected in 2013, according to a report by National Election Watch and the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR).

Besides, 54 (24 per cent) are facing serious criminal cases, including kidnapping, rape among others, compared to 39 (17 per cent) in 2013. At least 28 per cent of BJP MLAs are facing criminal charges, the highest among the three major parties contesting the polls.

Illustration showing increase in number of elected candidates with serious criminal charges | ThePrint

Four MLAs have declared cases related to attempt to murder under IPC Section 307.

Among the BJP MLAs, there is an 8 per cent increase in the number of legislators with serious criminal cases between 2013 and 2018.

The average assets of re-elected MLAs grew to Rs 53.40 crore this year from Rs 28.07 crore in 2013, a 90 per cent increase.

Illustration showing the increase in average growth of assets of re-elected candidates from 2013 to 2018 | ThePrint

The report analysed the self-sworn affidavits of 221 out of 222 newly-elected MLAs in the Karnataka 2018 assembly elections.

The report also shows that in the BJP, there is a 5 per cent jump in the number of MLAs with assets worth more than Rs 1 crore, while it increased by 4 per cent for Congress MLAs.

For JD(S), the number remained constant. However, in all the three parties more than 90 per cent of the MLAs have held assets worth crores since 2013.

One out of 103 MLAs analysed from BJP, 11 out of 78 MLAs from Congress, three out of 37 MLAs from JD(S) and the lone MLA from Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party declared assets worth more than Rs 100 crore.

The report also shows 80 MLAs have educational qualification up to primary and secondary level, while 135 are graduates and postgraduates. There is a slight increase in the number of women MLAs — from 5 in 2013 to 7 this time.