At a time when the BJP workers were feeling confident about reaping rich dividends in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from Mysore-Kodagu seat, following the nation-wide wave of Gujarat Chief Minister and its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, the issue surrounding former minister S A Ramdas has come as a major embarrassment, threatening to detrimental to the party prospects.
Ramdas, a three time MLA and also a cabinet minister in the previous BJP government is facing heinous charges of murder attempt, criminal intimidation and also breach of trust, as alleged by a woman government employee Prema Kumari Jadeda M.
A day before his name hit headlines for the wrong reasons, Ramdas, one of BJP’s influential leaders in the district and city, was busy launching ‘NaMo tea stalls’, a campaign launched by the party to counter Congress leader Manishankar Aiyar, who had criticised Modi’s plebian life earlier at a tea shop.
However, Ramdas’s life started taking a dramatic turn on February 11, when Prema Kumari levelled grave allegations against him for having married her in secret and harassing her by frequent transfers to avoid her. Ramdas’s suicide bid was the last straw for the party leaders who became answerable to the voters.
Party sources concede that the morale of the cadre had taken a beating. They are however keeping their fingers crossed, hoping that the entire episode if fast forgotten before the elections are announced.
Scandal series
Series of indiscretions including scandals, controversies, sleaze has dogged the State BJP, following allegations of rape, sexual assault and exploitation against their prominent leaders, (who had even held portfolios in the previous government).
This had proven costly to the party, which had come to power for the first time in the State. While there are allegations of sexual assault against former ministers M P Renukacharya, and Hartal Halappa, three others - Lakshman Savadi, C C Patil, and Krishna Palemar had to lose their portfolios after being caught watching pornographic content inside the Legislative Assembly.
And the Hall of Shame list continues to grow, thanks to self proclaimed, ‘Brahmacharis’ of the party who sit on their high horses and unabashedly indulge in moral policing.
Party sources own up to the fact that the task of undoing the damage would be very difficult, and that it would be a cumbersome job for whoever emerges as the party nominee to contest the Mysore-Kodagu seat.