Karnataka election 2018: Madhusudhana warns party against giving KR segment ticket to Ramdas

MYSURU: Divisions within the Mysuru unit of the BJP have come to light with former MLC G Madhusudhana appealing to the Karnataka BJP president BS Yeddyurappa against giving the Krishnaraja (KR) segment to former minister SA Ramdas.
Pointing out that Ramdas was accused of corruption, Madhusudhana said, “Ramdas is a land grabber, and the party must not give him a ticket. If Ramdas is given the ticket, it will blot the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and BJP national president Amit Shah.”

Recalling the role he played in helping Ramdas get the ticket from the segment in 1994, Madhusudhana said, “I had the chance of contesting the elections in 1994, but I requested the party to give the ticket to youngsters. Ramdas was young, and had been an assistant to the former Mysore Urban Development Authority chief Govindraju. I made him the president of the party’s youth wing, and helped him get the ticket from the constituency. Now, I am upset with Ramdas since he has been accused of corruption and impropriety.”

Madhusudhana feared that Congress would benefit if Ramdas were given the ticket from the KR segment. “We will ensure BJP’s victory if a leader other than Ramdas is given the ticket. We need to think twice before Ramdas is given the ticket,” he added.

Dismissing Madhusudhana’s allegations as ‘baseless’, Ramdas told TOI, “Allegations made by senior BJP leader Madhusudhana are far from the truth. But, I will not ask the party leadership to initiate action against him. The party will decide what to do.”