JD-S nominee richest in Karnataka Rajya Sabha polls

 Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) candidate B.M. Farooq with a declared assets of around Rs 770 crore is the richest of the five aspirants in the fray for biennial elections to the four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka.

According to affidavits filed with the Election Commission (EC), Farooq, 51, has declared assets of about Rs 770 crore, including immovable ones worth over Rs 600 crore, and a bank balance of about Rs 95 lakh.

He is pitted against Congressmen L. Hanumanthaiah, G.C. Chandrashekar and Syed Nasir Hussain, and Bharatiya Janata Party's Rajeev Chandrasekhar who is seeking a second term since his first term as an Independent member ends on April 2.

BJP's Chandrasekhar, 53, is the second richest candidate with declared assets of about Rs 50 crore and bank deposits of about Rs 4.8 crore.

Hanumanthaiah, G.C. Chandrashekar and Hussain have declared assets of about Rs 4.8 crore, Rs 13 crore and Rs 18.7 crore, respectively.

The March 23 Rajya Sabha elections will fill vacancies due to retirement of Basawaraj Patil, Rahman Khan and R. Ramakrishna of the Congress and Rajeev Chandrasekhar.

Counting of votes will also be held on March 23.