MTB Nagaraj richest in Minister in state Cabinet with Rs 1,195 crore declared assets

Bengaluru: MTB Nagaraj, an MLC is the richest of among the 29, who took charge as cabinet ministers of the Karnataka state government

Nagaraj has declared his assets to the tune of Rs 1,195 crore to the Election Commission and Lokayukta.

Two cabinet ministers have declared property worth over Rs 100 crore, and the least is declared by Kota Srinivas Poojari (Rs 65.59 lakh).

Nagaraj resigned as a cabinet minister to join the BJP from Congress-JD (S) coalition. However, he lost the Assembly bypoll to Sharath Bachegowda, the son of BJP MP Bache Gowda, who stood as an independent candidate in the Hosakote constituency.

Later, MTB Nagaraj became an MLC and entered the cabinet of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. Nagaraj had outrightly rejected the portfolio of excise, which is normally sought after by politicians. Then, Yediyurappa allotted him the ministry of Municipal Administration.

Vijayanagara MLA Anand Singh has declared assets to the tune of Rs 176.58 crore and Bhyrathi Basavaraj has the property worth Rs 118.35 crore.

Anand Singh, a mining baron has won three times from the Vijayanagar constituency. He was successful in getting a nod from the Yediyurappa government to carve out a new Vijayanagara district from the undivided Ballary district.

Kota Srinivas Poojari, in his election affidavit, has claimed to have Rs 65.59 lakh worth of property, which is the least.

Sulia MLA S. Angara has declared assets worth Rs 1.09 crore, Araga Jnanendra, V. Sunilkumar and Govind Karajol have declared assets of more than Rs 2 crore.

There are two cabinet ministers with MBBS degrees namely Dr Ashwathnarayan C.N., former deputy Chief Minister and Dr K. Sudhakar, former Health Minister.

Among the cabinet ministers of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, a mechanical engineer himself, there are 15 graduates, four have studied engineering, two have completed diploma courses.

Four have completed pre-university education. Ministers S. Angara and MTB Nagaraj have studied up to Class 8. Ministers Shivaram Hebbar, Shahikala Jolle and C.C.Patil have studied SSLC (10th).

(With inputs from IANS)