The 18 MLAs of BJP with a criminal record

Bharatiya Janata Party is all set to form the government in Karnataka. During its campaign it spoke at great lengths about wiping corruption, clean governance, development and strict implementation of the law.

More: Battleground Karnataka

However, it would be interesting to note that the party has 18 legislators with a criminal record who have every chance of becoming a minister once the first independent BJP government in South India is sworn in.

The big question for B S Yeddyurappa is whether he will take this aspect into consideration and toe the line of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who did not include a single legislator with a criminal record into the ministry.

Here is a list of legislators -- who have been elected on a BJP ticket -- with a criminal record.

1. Anand Singh, Vijayanagara: Attempt to murder, rioting, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, criminal intimidation, house-trespass.
2. Sriramulu, Bellary: Attempt to murder, dacoity, wrongful restraint, wrongful confinement, unlawful assembly, rioting, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.
3. Kudligi B Nagendra, Kudligi: Attempt to Murder, dacoity, wrongful confinement, unlawful assembly, rioting, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means.
4. N S Nandieshareddy, K R Pura: Voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, unlawful assembly, rioting, member of unlawful assembly.
5. Dr Bagali Sarvabhoum Satagouda, Indi: Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, forgery for purpose of cheating, using as genuine a forged document or electronic record, causing disappearance of evidence of offence.
6. Chickpet Hemachandra Sagar D, Chickpet: Offences under the Wildlife Protection and Karnataka Forest Act.
7. K S Eshvarappa, Shimoga: Unlawful assembly, rioting, voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty.
8. Olekarneharuchannabasappa, Haveri: Unlawful assembly, rioting, wrongful restraint, criminal intimidation, member of unlawful assembly.
9. K Raghupathy Bhat, Udupi: Unlawful assembly, rioting, member of unlawful assembly.
10. Chandrashekhar Patil Revoor, Gulbarga Dakshin: Wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace.
11. CT Ravi, Chikmagalur: Rioting, joining unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapon, joining or continuing in unlawful assembly knowing it has been commanded to disperse, Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.
12. K G Bopaiah, Virajpet: Unlawful assembly; rioting; wrongful restraint.
13. Charantimath Viranna Chandrashekharayya, Bagalkot: Dacoity, unlawful assembly, rioting, act endangering life or personal safety of others, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, attempting to commit offences punishable with imprisonment for life or other imprisonment.
14. M P Renukacharyya, Honnali: Obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, resistance or obstruction to lawful apprehension of another person, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, criminal intimidation, wrongful restraint, voluntarily causing hurt.
15. Lalaji R Mendon, Kaup: Unlawful assembly, rioting, member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty.
16. Bhusanur Ramesh Balappa, Sindgi: Unlawful assembly, rioting, criminal trespass, act endangering life or personal safety of others, voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty, assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, criminal intimidation.
17. Abhay Patil, Belgaum Dakshin: Non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant, rioting, joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse.
18. S A Ramadass, Krishnaraja: Two counts of Rioting, non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant, assault or criminal force with intent to dishonour person.

(Statistics provided by Karnataka Election Watch)