Kumaraswamy, wife, the richest couple in poll fray

Bangalore (PTI): JD-S Karnataka unit President and former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and his wife Anita, contesting the May 5 Assembly elections, have together declared assets worth Rs 123 crore. With assets of Rs 150.58 crore, the list of rich candidates is topped by T N Javarayi Gowda, also from JD-S, headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who filed his nominations from Yeshvanthpur in Bangalore on Monday. Kumaraswamy, Gowda's son, and his wife are contesting from Ramanagaram and Channapatna respectively. Many multi-millionaires are in the field from BJP, JDS 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, Anand Singh contesting from Vijaynagar from mine-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 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 declared is worth Rs 3.87 crore. K J George, also of Congress contesting from Sarvagnanagar here, has assets worth Rs 26.82 crore. Congress has also fielded its councillor from city corporation B Basavarju, from Hoodi ward in K R Puram constituency whose total worth is also 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.