Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka has cancelled Prime Minister and senior BJP leader Narendra Modi’s campaign for Chittapur town where rowdy sheeter Manikanta Rathod is a candidate for the ruling party in the state.
He presently has over 30 cases against him including murder, possession of drugs, possession of illegal firearms and kidnapping in five Karnataka districts.
The PM was slated to hold a public meeting in Chitthur on May 6. However, the same has now been cancelled after Rathod was reportedly convicted by the Yadgiri district court for selling milk powder to Anganwadi children illegally.
As per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India, a person’s candidature is disqualified if convicted by a court and sentenced to over two years of imprisonment. However, last checked, Rathod’s candidature has not been cancelled on the Election Commission’s candidate application.
On April 28, the Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai held a road show for Rathod in Chittapur.
Recently, Rathod’s video went viral on Twitter where he casually flexes a pistol.
Rathod was selected to represent the saffron party in the upcoming state Assembly election which is due on May 10. He was pitted against MLA Priyank M Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. In November last year, Rathod declared openly to kill Priyank in a press conference. He was arrested for a short time after which he was granted bail.
A look at his Instagram profile and Rathod’s page is filled with posts of many prominent BJP leaders, including Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay, Union Minister Tourism G Kishan Reddy, senior Lingayat leader B S Yediyurappa to name a few.
Rathod has been convicted of a two-year jail term by the district court.
Rathod has immovable properties worth Rs 17.83 crore, including rice mills in Umarga, Kalaburagi, Hyderabad and Yadgiri districts.
