Karnataka polls: 681 crorepatis, 220 criminals

Here are some numbers that help put the Karnataka assembly elections in perspective. 

• The average asset increase of 347 re-contesting candidates from the 2008 to 2013 assembly elections is more than Rs 6.25 crores or 79 per cent
  
  118 re-contesting Congress candidates have shown an average asset increase of more than Rs 8.76 crore. Their assets have increased from Rs 16.08 crore in 2008 to 24.85 crores in 2013.
  
  The average assets of 93 BJP candidates increased by more than Rs 6 crore (Rs 4.5 crore in 2008 to Rs 10.5 crore in 2013).
  
  71 re-contesting candidates of JD-S have shown an average increase in assets of Rs 5.93 crore (from Rs 4.4 crore in 2008 to Rs 10.34 crores in 2013).
  
  13 re-contesting candidates of BSR Congress showed an increase of Rs 2.83 crore (from Rs 2.44 crore in 2008 to Rs 5.27 crore from 2008 to in 2013) while 44 re-contesting candidates of the Karnataka Janatha Paksha showed an increase of Rs 1.93 crore (from Rs 1.22 crore in 2008 to Rs 3.15 crore in 2013).

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Figures released by Karnataka Election Watch and Association for Democratic Reforms

• There are 681 crorepati candidates contesting the May 5 assembly elections.
  
• Congress leader D K Shivkumar from Kanakapura constituency has shown the maximum growth in assets. His assets increased from Rs 75 crore in 2008 to Rs 251 crore in 2013 followed by fellow Congressmen Priya Krishna from Govindrajnagar constituency -- whose assets went up from Rs 767 crore in 2008 to Rs 910 crore in 2013 -- and Santosh Lad from Kalaghati -- whose assets increased from Rs 61 crore in 2008 to Rs 186 crore in 2013.
  
• Congress leader H P Rajesh from Jagalur has shown the highest decrease in assets. He claims to have shed 93 percent of his wealth (from Rs 1.01 crore in 2008 to Rs 7.5 lakh in 2013). He is followed by BJP's M Lakshmana from Hosadurga (87 per cent) -- from Rs 1.6 crore in 2008 to Rs 20 lakh in 2013.

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• The top three candidates with highest declared assets are (in decreasing order): Priyakrishna (Congress) from Govindrajnagar has declared assets worth Rs 910 crore; N Nagaraju (Congress) from Hosakote has assets worth Rs 470 crore; Anil Lad (Congress) from Bellary city has assets worth Rs 288 crore.
  
  Among the 215 candidates analysed for JD-S, K Bagegowda from Basavanagudi constituency has declared the total assets of Rs 250 crore. From the BJP, N S Nandiesha Reddy contesting from K R Pura constituency has the highest assets worth Rs 118 crore.
  
• Out of the 1052 candidates belonging to 6 major political parties, 61 candidates have declared assets less than Rs 1 lakh.
  
  R Sathya Narayana (KJP) from K R Pura has declared zero assets in his affidavit. Ramanna R H J (Loksatta Party) from Raichur has declared assets worth Rs 950 followed by Dr Abdul Kareem (Loksatta Party) from Bidar South who has declared assets worth Rs 25,000.
  
• A total of 40 candidates out of 1052 analysed have declared liabilities of Rs 10 crore and above. The top three candidates with highest declared liabilities are (in decreasing order): Priyakrishna (Congress) from Govindrajnagar has declared the highest liabilities worth Rs 777 crore followed by Prabhakara Reddy R of (JD-S) from Bangalore South with liabilities worth Rs 200 crore, M Krishnappa (Congress) from Vijayanagar with Rs 78 crore.

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• Out of the 1052 candidates analysed, 220 candidates (or 21 per cent) have declared criminal cases against them.
  
• 55 out of the 217 (25 per cent) Congress candidates have declared criminal cases against them followed by 48 out of 215 (22 per cent) JD-S candidates, 44 out of 197 (22 per cent) KJP candidates, 45 out of 218 (21 per cent) BJP candidates, 21 out of 171 (12 per cent) BSRC candidates and 2 out of 22 (9 per cent) Loksatta Party candidates. Out of the 11 independent candidates analysed, 4 candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves.
  
• 110 (10 per cent) have declared serious criminal cases. These include murder and rape related cases. 13 candidates from the 6 major political parties have declared murder-related cases against them.
  
  Two candidates -- Ravikanth Patil (KJP) from Indi and H Halappa (KJP) from Sorab have declared cases of rape against them.
  
  18 candidates have declared that they have cases under Prevention of Corruption Act.
  
• 170 female candidates are contesting the 2013 elections as compared to the 107 during the 2008 polls.