New Delhi, May 6 (IANS): Of the 189 MLAs who are re-contesting the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, state Congress chief D.K Shivakumar has clocked the highest increase in assets in the last five years, revealed the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) report on Saturday.

As per the ADR report, four of the Congress MLAs re-contesting the Assembly elections this year have recorded massive increase in their assets in the last five years.

Shivkumar, who is currently an MLA from Kanakapura Assembly constituency, has declared maximum increase in assets with a rise of Rs 573.78 crore. He had declared assets to the tune of 1,413.80 crores in 2023 as compared to Rs 840.01 crore in 2018. His assets in the last five years increased by 68 per cent.

Similarly, assets of the Congress candidate N.A.Haris who is contesting from Shantinagar constituency has increased by Rs 248.96 crore in the last five years.

Haris had declared assets worth Rs 190.24 crore in 2018 and in this year he has shown his assets to the tune of Rs 439.20 crore, which is 131 per cent increase.

The third spot is taken by BJP's Munirathna who is contesting from Rajarajeshwarinagar constituency. As per the ADR report, his assets in the last five years increased by 229 per cent. His assets have risen by Rs 204.46 crores, from Rs 89.13 crore in 2018 to Rs 293.60 crore in 2023.

On the fourth spot is Congress' S.N. Subbareddy, who has been fielded from the Bagepalli Assembly seat and his assets in the last five year rose by 99 per cent. As per the report, his assets have risen by Rs 156 crore, from Rs 157 crore in 2018 to Rs 313 crore in 2023.

The fifth spot is also occupied by Congress' Raghunath Deshpande who is contesting once again from the Haliyal assembly seat in the southern state. As per the report, his assets rose by 69 per cent. He had declared assets to the tune of Rs 215 crore in 2018 assembly polls, which now stands at Rs 363 crore, with a whopping increase of Rs 148 crore.

The polling for the 224-member Assembly is scheduled on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13. The ruling BJP is campaigning aggressively to retain power in the state whereas the Congress and the JD(S) are also campaigning to come back to power in the southern state.