BENGALURU: Former BBMP corporators are turning into a thorn in the side for sitting MLAs and aspiring candidates, just ahead of elections. The protest against Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad and the burning of his poster is not an isolated incident. In many assembly seats, ex-corporators and their supporters have become a pain point for sitting MLAs and aspiring candidates.
For example, Domlur’s former corporator Lakshminarayana, an independent who supported the Congress, is now throwing his weight behind BJP leader M Goutham Kumar, who is aspiring to contest against MLA N A Haris in Shanthinagar. Not just him, Shanthalanagar’s former corporator Shiva Kumar is also aiming to unseat Haris from Shanthinagar.
Similarly, former corporators H Ravindra and Umesh Shetty are eyeing Vijayanagar, and lobbying for the BJP ticket -- in their respective capacities -- to contest against sitting MLA Krishnappa. In KR Puram, MLA Byrathi Basavaraj’s once loyal aide and former corporator Manjunath is working against the MLA in the HAL ward. N Chandrappa Reddy, BJP leader and former corporator from Konena Agrahara, declared he will not work for MLA S Raghu in the polls. He alleged that the MLA had insulted him and also blocked ward development funds.
In the BTM assembly segment, ex-corporator Devadas rebelled against MLA Ramalinga Reddy and is supporting the BJP. Devadas contested against Reddy in 2018 and later joined the BJP. Former Congress corporators Sampath Raj, AR Zakir and their supporters will make things difficult for Pulikeshi Nagar MLA Akhandasrinivasa Murthy.
The equation between the MLA and former corporators changed after August 12, 2020, the riots and attacks on DJ Halli and KJ Halli police stations. In Rajajinagar, MLA S Suresh Kumar may face an uphill task, with Bengaluru BJP chief Shivanalli Manju aspiring to contest, and reportedly has the support of former BJP corporators. For Congress, former BBMP mayor Padmavathi and Rajajinagar corporator Krishnamurthy are already campaigning to defeat Kumar.