Karnataka legislators rule the rich list, earn Rs 1.1-cr average annual income

Karnataka’s legislators are among the highest-earning politicians in India, says a report by the Association for Democratic Reforms, which analysed the annual income of sitting MLAs from all Indian states. With an annual average income of Rs 1.1 crore, Karnataka MLAs earn the highest while the national average is Rs 24.59 lakh per annum. Maharashtra, with 256 MLAs having an average annual income of Rs 43.4 lakh, ranks second after Karnataka.

ADR along with National Election Watch prepared the report based on the self-declared affidavits of MLAs during the last assembly elections. Here are the highlights from Karnataka:
Number of MLAs analysed: 203
Total self annual income: Rs 226.09 crore
Average self annual income: Rs 1.1 crore

Six MLAs of Karnataka are in the list of India’s top 20 MLAs with highest annual income. At Rs 104.41 crore, Hosakote MLA N Nagaraju (MTB) tops the list. While the data reflect only the annual income of candidates, their wealth is not counted in this analysis. For instance, water resources minister DK Shivakumar, who is under the Enforcement Directorate’s scanner for money laundering, continues to be the richest legislator in Karnataka with total assets valued at Rs 840 crore. He does not, however, does not figure at the top when it comes to annual income.