KARNATAKA POLL POPS SURPRISES

SURGE IN THE number of of newly elected MLAs facing serious criminals cases. BJP leads with 42 of its MLAs facing criminal cases, followed by 23 of the Congress and 11 JD( S) MLAs. The saffron party is also ahead of others with 29 of its legislators facing serious criminal cases against them. Congress and JD( S) have 12 and eight MLAs facing serious criminal cases. Data released by NGO Association for Democratic Reforms ( ADR) and Karnataka Election Watch shows 77 of the 221 MLAs analysed have declared criminal cases against them.

IN TERMS of wealth, 215 of 221 newly elected MLAs are crorepatis, up from 203 in the previous assembly. Party wise, most of the wealthy MLAs are in the BJP, with 101 of its MLAs declaring that they are crorepatis.

Congress has 77 and JD( S) 35 crorepati MLAs. The three richest MLAs are from Congress. The 184 MLAs who recontested the Karnataka Assembly elections on May 12 have seen a 64 per cent growth in their assets as compared to the 2013 elections.

SNAPPING ITS TWO- DAY falling streak, benchmark stock indices opened on a positive note after BJP’s B. S. Yeddyurappa was sworn in as the chief minister of Karnataka.

THE CONGRESS AND RJD are now demanding that the governors of Goa, Manipur and Bihar should invite them to stake claim to form the government in these states as they were the singlelargest parties in the last Assembly polls there.