Affidavit shows significant rise in 5 Karnataka ministers’ wealth in last 5 years

Bengaluru: The affidavits submitted by the five ministers in the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government in Karnataka to the Election Commission regarding the upcoming Assembly elections reveal a significant increase in their fortunes, with the value of movable assets showing a rise of three to eight times over the past five years.

According to a report published in The Indian Express, the affidavits filed by K Sudhakar, Minister for Medical Education and Health and Family Welfare; V Sunil Kumar, Minister of Power; C C Patil, Minister for Public Works Department; ST Somashekhar, Minister of State for Cooperation; and Murugesh Nirani, Industries Minister, show a significant increase in their assets since 2018.

K Sudhakar, who was among the 17 rebels who defected to the BJP in 2019, saw an increase in movable assets from Rs 1.11 crore in 2018 to Rs 2.79 crore in 2023, while immovable assets remained almost the same. However, Sudhakar’s wife Dr Preethi GA saw a huge surge in her immovable assets, which went from Rs 1.17 crore in 2018 to Rs 16.1 crore in 2023, including the purchase of a house worth Rs 14.92 crore in Bengaluru’s Sadashivanagar last September.

Another rebel in 2019, ST Somasekhar, saw an eight-fold increase in movable assets from Rs 67.83 lakh in 2018 to Rs 5.46 crore. Meanwhile, V Sunil Kumar’s movable assets went up three-fold from Rs 53.27 lakh in 2018 to Rs 1.59 crore in 2023, and his immovable assets grew two-and-a-half times from Rs 1.68 crore to Rs 4.03 crore in the same period.

Murugesh Nirani’s movable assets went from Rs 16 crore to Rs 27.22 crore, and his immovable assets shot up from Rs 4.58 crore to Rs 8.6 crore over the last five years. His wife Kamala Nirani also saw a rise in movable assets from Rs 11.58 crore in 2018 to Rs 38.35 crore.

These details were submitted in the affidavits of the ministers before the State Election Commission.