BENGALURU: The muscle power seems to have worked no wonders with urban voters who have clearly showed the door to candidates with criminal background. Of the 10 candidates who tried their luck at the hustings, only three have managed to emerge as winners.
The JD(S) had given tickets to seven candidates. Among them, V.K. Praveen alias ‘Malayali’ Praveen (46) had contested from Sudhamanagar ward in the Chickpet Assembly constituency. He is an accused in various cases in at least ten police stations in the city and also from the neighbouring districts. He was also detained him under the Goonda Act in 2011. Praveen’s plan to enter politics by becoming a corporator did not work out as Congress candidate R.V. Yuvaraj defeated him by a margin of nearly 3,000 votes. Mr Yuvaraj (22), is one the youngest candidates and also the son of Chikpet MLA R.V. Devaraj, who was once accused of having criminal background.
The JD(S) had also fielded the father-son duo of Arif Pasha and Imran Pasha from Bapujinagar and Padarayanapura wards respectively. Though the son won the elections from Padarayanpura ward with a big margin, the father could not make it as the Congress candidate was elected. The duo has various cases in Bengaluru West division police stations and they are also history sheeters.
‘Hooch queen’ Marimuthu, who contested from the Sagayapuram ward as a JD(S) candidate, lost against independent V. Elumalai, once a Congress worker. Even Elumalai has a criminal background, and his opponents have made attempts to murder him in the past.
JD(S) candidates Syed Mujahid from Bharathinagar ward and Ashfaq Ahmed from Manorayanapalya ward have also not succeeded in the elections. Both are rowdies in Shivajinagar police station. In Bharathinagar, Shakeel Ahmed, who was contesting on the Congress ticket, emerged as winner for the second time. Shakeel’s name too figured in the police files several years ago.
Congress candidate from Jayanagar East ward, Samiullah K.S., a former corportor with a criminal past, lost the elections. However, a few men who have criminal backgrounds have succeeded in fielding their wives as candidates and winning the polls in a few wards in East and West Bengaluru.
Ex-woman cop wins
While the people have defeated many with criminal past, the only policewoman, who resigned from her job and contested the polls, has been elected from Srinagar ward in Bengaluru South. J.M. Savitha, the BJP candidate, was a police constable earlier and was working in the PRO section of the police chief’s office. Her father Mayanna Gowda had lost by just 88 votes in the previous elections.
