Bangalore: Former Lokayukta N. Venkatachala Joins BJP
The Hindu / Agencies
BANGALORE, Feb 1: The former Lokayukta N. Venkatachala joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday. According to sources in the BJP, he might be fielded as the party candidate in the Lok Sabha elections from either Bangalore North or Chickballapur constituency.
Venkatachala, a retired Supreme Court judge who fought corruption as the Lokayukta, defended his decision to join the BJP in the wake of party MLA Y. Sampangi being caught by the Lokayukta police after he allegedly accepted a bribe at the Legislators’ Home here. “Every party will have corrupt people. But you need political will to fight corruption. Such political will is there in the BJP,” he said.
He maintained that BJP leaders had not tried to shield the MLA and they had offered to fully cooperate with the Lokayukta in the crusade against corruption.
With reference to the particular instance of the BJP MLA being trapped by the Lokayukta, he said “everybody is equal before the law”.
Stressing the need to fight corruption, he said it would have been possible to eradicate poverty in the country if there was no corruption.
State party president D.V. Sadananda Gowda said the party would use Venkatachala’s expertise and experience to intensify the fight against corruption. It was the party that took the initiative of convincing Venkatachala to join its fold, he said.
Referring to Mr. Sampangi being trapped after accepting a bribe, Mr. Gowda said, “The BJP will not try to protect the MLA. We will not interfere in the investigation of the Lokayukta. We will fully cooperate with the Lokayukta in his task of cleansing public life.”
He denied reports that Farooq, based on whose complaint the Lokayukta trapped the MLA, was a member of the BJP.
He appealed to the Lokayukta to consider the version of Nayaz, with whom Farooq had a dispute over the ownership of a piece of land.
Gowda said the party would recommend a second list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections to the Central Parliamentary Board by February 15. The first list of candidates was announced recently.
He said the selection of candidates and preparations for the polls would be discussed at the party’s national executive committee meeting to be held from February 6 to 8.
Action likely
The party might initiate action against its legislator M.P. Renukacharya for barging into the Lokayukta’s office and entering into an argument with him after Sampangi was arrested.
Gowda said “it was not proper on the part of some of our MLAs to do such a thing. I will take action in this regard.”
He did not specify what action would be taken. “We will study the issue first and see what should be done.”
Denies reports
Gowda denied reports that the former captain of the Indian cricket team Anil Kumble was set to join the party and that the State unit had recommended to the Central Parliamentary Board that he be fielded in the Lok Sabha elections.
“Neither has Mr. Kumble approached us nor have we approached him,” Gowda said. However, Gowda hastened to add, “Kumble is an asset to the nation. The party would be happy to include him in its fold if he wants to join.”