BJP’s Renukacharya and Ramadas, as well as Congress’s Meti, are facing campaigns from women who claim they’ve been wronged by them personally.
Bengaluru: Break a heart, and it may come back to haunt you. This is a lesson some politicians in Karnataka seem to be learning, as they face the heat from women they were alleged to be in a relationship with ahead of the 12 May assembly elections.
BJP MLAs M.P. Renukacharya and S.A. Ramadas, and Congress’s H.Y. Meti, all of whom have been ministers, are battling strong campaigns from women who claim they’ve been wronged by them personally.
Jayalakshmi and Renukacharya
Jayalakshmi, popularly known as ‘Nurse Jayalakshmi’, made headlines in 2007 when she accused Renukacharya of sexual harassment. She even released photographs of them kissing, and alleged that she was driven to attempt suicide as the minister was forcing her to marry him.
Then, in 2010, Renukacharya said that Jayalakshmi had withdrawn the case she filed against him, and that it was nothing but an attempt to tarnish his image.
Jayalakshmi joined the Mahila Empowerment Party and wanted to contest against Renukacharya in his own constituency of Honnalli in Davanagere district, but has instead been given a ticket from the BTM Layout constituency in Bengaluru.
But Jayalakshmi is undeterred. Calling it a “pursuit of justice”, she insists she’ll find time to campaign against Renukacharya in his borough.
Premakumari and Ramadas
Premakumari had made a stunning claim about Ramadas at a press conference in 2014 — she alleged that he had secretly married her.
The claim caused much shock across the state, and Ramadas had to be hospitalised after attempting suicide.
Premakumari had made a vow last year that she would campaign against Ramadas in his constituency of Krishnaraja in Mysuru. She then attempted to get a ticket through a new party called the Indian New Congress, but the delay in getting an election symbol quashed her electoral ambitions.
Instead, Premakumari insists she will campaign against Ramadas.
Vijayalaxmi and Meti
A CD allegedly showing then-excise minister Meti having sex with a woman surfaced and went viral in December 2016, forcing him to resign. Though the 71-year-old Meti was given a CID clean chit a few months later, the woman, Vijayalaxmi, attempted suicide in August 2017.
Vijayalaxmi has maintained that she was sexually harassed by Meti, who asked for sexual favours in return for her transfer or regularisation of her post.
This time around, Congress sources say there was much deliberation over whether or not to give Meti a ticket from Bagalkot, but in the end, no suitable alternative was found.
Vijayalaxmi had initially decided to contest against him as an independent, but later changed her mind. However, she is continuing to run a campaign against him.