Doctors, academics, post-graduates, retired officers… 'BJP’s list is based on political analysis'

News Network

April 12, 2023

After what seemed like a long wait, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday night released its first list of 189 candidates for the Karnataka Assembly elections, betting high on new faces as it faces a tough battle owing to mounting anti-incumbency.

The BJP has fielded 52 new faces, including those who replace nine sitting MLAs. Fisheries Minister S Angara from Sullia and Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat did not get the tickets.

The list also had 32 names from the OBC community, 30 from the Scheduled Caste, 16 names from the Scheduled Tribes and eight women.

In Bengaluru, former police commissioner Bhaskar Rao is the BJP candidate from Chamarajpet. Contrary to speculation, senior MLA S Suresh Kumar has been renominated from Rajajinagar. The first list, however, does not contain Somanna’s seat Govindarajanagar and Mahadevapura represented by former minister Aravind Limbavali.

According to sources, the BJP is trying to follow three broad principles in choosing candidates: replace those who have enjoyed senior positions and are nearing retirement, asking fathers to withdraw from the fray if they want tickets for their children, and avoid those facing charges of corruption and sexual misconduct. Based on this, some more sitting MLAs may not get tickets.

The BJP list dominated by Lingayat and Vokkaliga candidates - was finalised after several days of back-to-back meetings. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan - he supervises the BJP’s election effort in Karnataka - said the list is based on “detailed political analysis”.

Singh added that the list also had candidates with high professional achievements, with five advocates, nine doctors, three academics, one retd IAS officer and retired IPS each. Among the 189 names, 31 were post-graduates and three retired government employees. Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that since Karnataka was a state of “intellectual leadership”, the party wanted to field peppy with more academic achievements.

Sources said that the BJP’s list was delayed as it was waiting for a nod from PM Modi; a meeting of the party’s top election committee was held on April 9 with the attendance of union home minister Amit Shah, union defence minister Rajnath Singh, former Karnataka CM BS Yedyurappa, and CM Basavaraj Bommai. Yedyurappa left for Bangalore on Tuesday even as meetings between Shah and party president JP Nadda continued. The only next list will be out within the next four-five days, said the BJP.

BJP leaders involved in the process said that there was consensus on over 160 names but that there were certain disagreements over the last few names. The strategy now, the leader said, is to field the prime minister as many times as possible. “We could not have expected the same mandate with the same old names. Newer faces will be the party’s future,” the leader said.

Pradhan said that the list has representation from all sections. An example of that was the ticket to Bhagirathi Murulya from Dakshina Kannada’s Sullia reserved seat, over regional heavyweight and minister Angara S.

The party’s ticket distribution, a repeat from what it did in states like Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, has angered several leaders with followers of senior faces like KS Eashwarappa and former deputy chief minister Jagdish Shettar holding demonstrations. There were also murmurs that V Somanna, who has been fielded against former CM Siddharamaiah from the Varuna seat, expressed reservations. He has been fielded from a second seat Chamarajpet, and in the list of 189 names, is the only second person fighting from two seats — the other is R Ashok who’s taking on Congress’s other heavyweight DK Shivakumar at Kanakpura, who’s also fighting from Padmanabhanagar.

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SIT raids rape accused BJP MLA Munirathna’s residence, 15 other locations

News Network

September 28,2024

Bengaluru, Sep 28: The Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing charges against arrested Karnataka BJP MLA N. Munirathna Naidu, including allegations of rape, honey-trapping, and other offences, on Saturday conducted raids at his residence and 15 other locations across the city.

Sources confirmed that the raids were taking place at his Vyalikaval residence and other properties owned by the BJP MLA. The operation is being conducted by the SIT under the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led by ACP Kavitha.

The team is examining documents, electronic devices, and other materials related to the rape and honey-trapping case. The SIT is being supported by experts from the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), with Superintendent of Police (SP) Sowmya Latha also participating in the search and inspection at Munirathna’s Vyalikaval residence.

According to sources, the raids were triggered by information provided by the victim, who alleged that Munirathna recorded footage of sexual assaults and used it to blackmail politicians and public servants, including IAS and IPS officers.

The victim reportedly revealed that she was used to entrap the woman who had lodged a rape case against a senior IFS officer. She was allegedly instructed to frame the rape victim in a drug peddling case.

The complainant told police that she was tasked with capturing compromising videos of the rape victim who had filed the case against the IFS officer. She claimed that, after several failed attempts to obtain the videos, the victim was drugged with sleeping pills, and obscene footage was recorded without her consent. Later, the IFS officer was bailed out from the charges.

Furthermore, the complainant has accused MLA Munirathna of raping her at his office within the state legislature, in his official vehicle, and at his godown. She has alleged that he recorded videos of these assaults.

Police sources also revealed that the victim in the MLA's case provided details of a plot involving sending HIV-infected women to Munirathna's targets in an attempt to ruin them politically and personally. She also disclosed the names of several politicians whom she had entrapped through honey-trapping.

The woman further claimed that Munirathna had threatened to have her son kidnapped and killed if she refused to comply with his demands. According to her, the MLA had a well-organised team dedicated to carrying out these honey-trapping operations, and she provided details about his close associates and relatives involved in the scheme.

Munirathna, who was in judicial custody following his arrest in the rape and honey-trap case, has now been taken into the custody of the SIT.

The MLA was transferred from Bengaluru Central Jail to the CID office on the night of September 24. The BJP legislator, however, has denied all the allegations, claiming they are false.

Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Suresh had alleged that Munirathna was trying to infect his adversaries with HIV and that the government should investigate the matter.

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