BANGALORE: The recent ruling of the Election Commission recommending the disqualification of Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan for holding an office of profit is likely to affect the chances of a couple of MLAs and MLCs who are said to be in the race for the post of chairperson of the Kannada Development Authority (KDA).

The three-year tenure of the incumbent, B.M. Idinabba, a former Congress MLA, expires on March 17. Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has kept the portfolio of Kannada and Culture and he is reportedly looking for the right person for the post. So far, no woman has headed the KDA. The chairperson of the KDA is entitled to a salary of Rs. 10,000; monthly house rent of Rs. 30,000 or Rs. 20,000 as residence maintenance allowance; two landline telephone connections, one each at the office and at home; a mobile telephone, an official car; 500 litres of petrol a month while in Bangalore; travelling allowance of Rs. 12 a kilometre; and incidental expenditure of Rs. 800 and Rs. 1,000 a day while touring within the State and outside respectively. Besides, the chairperson is also entitled to an annual sumptuary allowance of Rs. 75,000. As the post of KDA chairperson is an office of profit, MLAs and MLCs can be appointed to it only after resigning from the Assembly or Council. The Government is unlikely to appoint the chairperson before it finalises the appointments to boards and corporations. But whether the Election Commission's ruling will affect their chances of heading boards and corporations is what is worrying legislators aspiring for the posts.

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