Belagavi: The upcoming election to the Legislative Council from the North West graduates constituency and West teachers constituency is a clash between rich crorepatis of north-Karnataka.
Unlike general election, the parties and candidates are not squandering money for votes but some of them are capable of doing it if it really takes money for them to win the contest.
The richest of candidates in the graduates constituency is BJP's Hanumanth Nirani, brother of former minister Murugesh Nirani, who recently had gifted an expensive SUV to his political godfather B.S. Yeddyurappa.
According to sources, Hanumanth Nirani is richest among all contenders in the fray in the graduates constituency with net assets to the tune of Rs 17 crores. In the affidavit submitted along with his nomination papers, his movable assets are worth Rs 11.75 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 5.57 crores.
Besides having immovable assets worth Rs 1.58 crores in his wife's name, Nirani also has immovable assets in his children's names.
His rival in the same constituency, sitting MLC Mahantesh Koujalgi of Congress party also is cash-rich with movable assets worth Rs 2.47 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 1.21 crore.
According to his affidavit, he has movable property worth Rs 1.39 crore in his wife's name and Rs 32 lakh property in his children's name. Besides having lakhs of deposits in his family members accounts in various banks, he has invested Rs 2.47 crore in share capital in different organisations.
From West teachers constituency, former minister Basavaraj Horatti of JD(S) is testing his luck the sixth time in a row having won five times. He has Rs 1.18 crore immovable assets in his name besides Rs 1.01 crore in his wife's name and Rs 26.73 lakhs in the names of his dependents.
