Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Mar 21: The interim appeal filed by defeated BJP candidate from Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency, Tulasi Muniraju Gowda, seeking to disqualify winning Congress MLA (since disqualified) N Muniratna, because of election irregularities committed by him, has been dismissed.

The petition filed earlier by Tulasi Muniraju Gowda had been quashed. He had gone on appeal. As a result, Muniratna, who joined the BJP in the meanwhile, and was disqualified by the assembly speaker, could not fight the election like the other disqualified legislators from the Congress and the JD(S) because of the fact that election petition challenging his election was pending in his constituency. He can now fight the election.

Tulasi Muniraju Gowda had alleged large scale election-related irregularities on the part of Muniraju. He also had claimed that after Muniraju changed loyalties, he was under pressure to withdraw his petition but he refused to do so. Reportedly, he was also offered the post of the chairman of Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation in exchange for his withdrawal of petition but he refused the offer.

With the efforts of Tulasi Muniraju Gowda to get the high court to declare him as the winner in the election having been dashed, the election commission will now be able to hold bypoll in Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency.