DK Shivakumar Holds Rs.1,400 Crore Assets, While WB’s Nirmal Dhara Has Just Rs 1,700”

The most prosperous MLA in the nation is DK Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka. The head of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), DK Shivakumar, is the richest MLA, according to a research by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and National Election Watch (NEW), with assets worth Rs 1,413 crore. Shivakumar claimed to have a total of Rs 273 crore of moveable assets and Rs 1,140 crore in immovable assets in his 2023 declaration to the Election Commission. DKS has total liabilities of Rs 265 crore.

Interestingly, Karnataka MLAs have 12 of the top 20 spots on the list of the wealthiest lawmakers in the nation. According to the ADR research, Karnataka has the largest percentage of billionaires in the nation, with 14% of its MLAs having net worths of at least Rs 100 crore. Karnataka parliamentarians’ average net worth is Rs. 64.3 Crore.

KH Puttaswamy Gowda, an independent lawmaker and businessman, is ranked second on the list with assets of Rs 1,267 crore and only Rs 5 crore in liabilities. The next-to-youngest Congress MLA in the Karnataka legislature, 39-year-old Priyakrishna, who has disclosed assets of Rs. 1,156 crore, is not far behind.

The research, which covers 4,001 current MLAs from 28 state legislatures and two union territories, sheds light on the financial situation of elected officials all around the country. According to DK Shivakumar’s 2023 affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, his liabilities total Rs 265 crore, while his total assets comprise Rs 1,140 crore in moveable assets and Rs 273 crore in immovable  assets. Similar to this, KH Puttaswamy Gowda has Rs 276 crore in cash and Rs 990 crore in real estate.

It’s interesting to note that Priyakrishna not only ranks well in terms of assets, but also holds the record for having the most liabilities among all of the country’s parliamentarians, totaling Rs 881 crore. His father, M Krishnappa, is ranked number 18 on the list of the wealthiest people in Karnataka. Gali Janardhana Reddy, a notable figure in the mining industry, is ranked No. 23 on the list.

The least wealthy MLA in history, however, is Nirmal Kumar Dhara from the West Bengali constituency of Indus, who has assets of just Rs. 1,700 and no debts. With assets of Rs 28 lakh and liabilities at Rs 2 lakh, BJP’s Bhagirathi Murulya is the poorest elected MLA in Karnataka.