Jumping ship

A look at the17 rebel MLAs who helped pull down the state government

30-Byrathi-Basavaraj BYRATHI BASAVARAJ

BYRATHI BASAVARAJ, 55 / K.R. Puram

The three-time Congress MLA is considered to be close to former chief minister Siddaramaiah. A realtor and farmer, he owns prime land and has declared assets worth Rs90 crore. Has been booked for land-grabbing, cheating, forgery and criminal conspiracy.

M.T.B. NAGARAJ, 67 / Hosakote

The Kuruba leader has assets worth Rs1,000 crore. He claims Siddaramaiah is like Lord Ram and he is Hanuman. This makes his resignation more shocking. The agriculturist owns a dozen companies; his assets have almost doubled since the 2014 elections. He quit citing interference from JD(S) leader H.D. Revanna.

MUNIRATHNA NAIDU, 54 / Rajarajeshwarinagar

Film producer-turned politician and two-time Congress MLA. Has declared assets worth Rs43 crore. Also a private contractor, he was named in a Rs1,500-crore fake bill scam. Several women corporators have accused him of interference in their work. Said to have been warming up to the BJP for some time.

R. ROSHAN BAIG, 68 / Shivajinagar

Suspended for outbursts against the Congress. Was with the Janata Party earlier. Has been named in a multi-crore Ponzi scheme and has declared assets worth Rs36 crore. Having felt sidelined, he has been cosying up to the BJP, and has even urged Muslims to back the party.

K. GOPALAIAH, 57 / Mahalakshmi Layout

The two-time JD(S) MLA started as a corporator; has assets worth Rs18.85 crore. Former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said Gopalaiah was upset as he did not stand by the latter’s brother, who was arrested in a murder case. Many in the BJP are against Gopalaiah joining them; they suspect his role in the death of a party worker.

R. SHANKAR, 53 / Ranebennur

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Only Karnataka Pragnyavantha Janatha Party MLA; disqualified after his many flip-flops on extending support to the coalition and the BJP. The Kuruba leader is related to BJP leader K.S. Eshwarappa. Had assets worth Rs265 crore in 2018, up from Rs93 crore in 2013. Has been convicted in at least three cases.

DR K. SUDHAKAR, 44 / Chikkaballapur

An MBBS graduate and outspoken member of the Siddaramaiah camp. Alleged that the JD(S) could not tolerate the growth of another Vokkaliga after Kumaraswamy denied him ministership and delayed his appointment as chairman of the state pollution board. Seems inclined to join the BJP. Has declared assets worth Rs15 crore.

RAMESH JARKIHOLI, 59 / Gokak

The eldest Jarkiholi brother was the chief architect of the rebellion. The four-time MLA and sugar baron belongs to the numerically strong Valmiki (ST) community. Apparently felt threatened by fellow Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar’s interest in Belagavi, the Jarkiholi stronghold. Was unhappy with his portfolios. Has declared assets worth Rs122 crore. Younger brother Balachandra is a BJP MLA.

ANAND SINGH, 52 / Vijayanagara (Hospet)

Former associate of the Reddy brothers, the tainted mining barons. Quit the BJP for the Congress in 2018 and won Hospet for the third time. Resigned on July 1; was among the first set of rebels to do so. Inclination towards the BJP no secret. Has declared assets worth Rs117 crore and 16 criminal cases against him.

S.T. SOMASHEKAR, 60 / Yeshwantpur

Two-time MLA, Vokkaliga leader and Siddaramaiah supporter. This January, he criticised the JD(S) for promoting only sons and daughters-in-law. Before quitting, he alleged interference by JD(S) leaders and said Bengaluru’s development was suffering under the coalition. A science graduate, Somashekar has assets worth Rs14 crore.

PRATAP GOUDA PATIL, 63 / Maski

Elected on a BJP ticket in 2008, Patil later joined B.S. Yediyurappa’s Karnataka Janata Paksha. Jumped to the Congress in 2013 and won two elections. Rebelled again this time. An agriculturist, he has declared assets worth Rs5.5 crore.

MAHESH KUMATHALLI, 56 / Athani

Skipped the assembly session in February; Congress workers filed a habeas corpus petition in the Karnataka High Court, accusing rebel MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi of forcibly detaining him. Kumathalli put to rest the speculation and resigned on July 6. A civil engineer, he has declared assets worth Rs9 crore.

B.C. PATIL, 62 / Hirekerur

Former policeman, film actor and three-time MLA from Hirekerur. The Lingayat leader first won on a JD(S) ticket in 2004. He won on Congress ticket in 2008 and 2018. Upset at being denied a cabinet berth, he joined the rebel camp. Has declared assets worth Rs5 crore.

K.C. NARAYANA GOWDA, 55 / Krishnarajapet

The two-time MLA from the Vokkaliga heartland skipped the assembly session in February citing food poisoning. Was later spotted with the rebels in Mumbai. The JD(S) MLA alleged that Kumaraswamy had neglected his constituency; accused one of Deve Gowda’s daughters of interfering in his constituency. Has declared assets worth Rs11 crore.

ARABAIL SHIVARAM HEBBAR, 61 / Yellapur

A Brahmin, the two-time MLA was upset at being kept out of the cabinet. A farmer, Hebbar has declared assets worth Rs6 crore. There are no criminal cases against the Congress leader, but companies owned by his family have been named in cases of illegal mining and export of iron ore.

ADAGUR H. VISHWANATH, 69 / Hunsur

The law graduate quit the Congress after a fallout with fellow Kuruba leader Siddaramaiah. He joined the JD(S) and was made state president, but was kept out of the cabinet. His was one of the more shocking resignations. Party insiders suspected he would jump ship to help his son—a Congress leader—join the BJP. Has declared assets worth Rs3 crore.

SHRIMANT PATIL, 63 / Kagwad

The Congress MLA, belonging to the Maratha Jain community, went missing from the Bengaluru resort and was reportedly admitted to a Mumbai hospital with complaints of chest pain. After Congress leaders alleged he had been kidnapped, Patil posted a video saying he was not. Owns sugar factories and has declared assets worth Rs54 crore.

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