Eleven candidates in Hiremath's list of 'tainted'

Social activist S R Hiremath said on Monday that the Jana Sangrama Parishat (JSP), Karnataka, had identified 11 candidates against whom there are charges of corruption. 

The JSP members would intensify the campaign against corrupt politicians, especially the 11 identified, he said.

Addressing reporters in the City, Hiremath, who is also president of JSP, said: “The 11 candidates include former chief ministers B S Yeddyurappa, H D Kumaraswamy, M Veerappa Moily, N Dharam Singh and D V Sadananda Gowda; former union minister H N Ananth Kumar, former State ministers Shobha Karandlaje and B Sriramulu; BJP State president Pralhad Joshi and young aspirants Prashant R Deshpande and D K Suresh.”

The candidates were identified during the special JSP meeting held on March 18. It was attended by over 30 persons, including members of the State-level executive committee of the JSP. Hiremath urged the public to reject the tainted and elect clean candidates. 

“The most tainted among them is Suresh, who has committed serious crimes such as granite loot and land grab,” he said. C Yathiraj, vice-president of JSP, alleged that Moily gave permission to 73 projects, including the controversial Posco steel plant, within three weeks of assuming additional charge of the union ministry of environment and forests.