Come November 3rd, Karnataka will witness its first major elections in the post-COVID era. Sira and Rajarajeshwari Nagar are the two constituencies involved, and going by the massive pre-poll campaign on display, it can be concluded that COVID-19 has not taken any steam out of the proceedings.
Munirathna Naidu To Represent The Lotus
Contesting from Rajarajeshwari Nagar will be Mr. Munirathna. Albeit, this time around, the producer-politician will fight in saffron colors. On the previous two occasions, the 56-year-old had won the elections as a Congress candidate, but recently, Mr. Munirathna has switched alliances to BJP.
A man who enjoys a stronghold in the constituency, things will be different for Munirathna this election. Him joining BJP has ruffled a few feathers, and there are expected to be a few implications on the results. Nevertheless, Munirathna is still the firm favorite.
The Lockdown Messiah
His work during the lockdown has earned him many fans, and this could help him go all the way. During the COVID-crisis, it is said that Munirathna personally called many households from his constituency and supplied them ration for three months. Popular actor Darshan also revealed that this move of Munirathna’s was one of the main reasons for his support to the BJP candidate.
The Political Journey Of Munirathna
Although Munirathna has had his share of controversies, the former civil-contractor has plenty of fans owing to his good and productive work. Having started his career as a corporator from Yeshwantpur, Munirathna impressed the Congress bigwigs with his dedication and commitment. For works such as providing free water connection to every household, maintenance of government schools at his own expense, and providing free tailoring classes to women, the leader earned a ticket to contest for the MLA seat from Rajarajeshwari Nagar.
Before getting into politics, Munirathna had a fair experience of developmental activities while serving as a civil-contractor with BBMP. During this tenure, he had foreseen the roadworks of the Race Course Road and the connecting link to KIAL.
After he became an MLA, Munirathna yet again built upon his name as someone who does good work. He utilized the LAD (Local Area Development) funds effectively, using them to fulfill the basic necessities, and also initiating various development projects. From 2013 to 2018, Munirathna was given INR 10 crores from the government as the LAD funds. Out of this, he used close to five crores for enabling free water connections and spent two other crores on disability help, sports and education.
Also An Established Film Producer
Meanwhile, Munirathna had also established himself as a producer in Sandalwood. Apart from backing the projects financially, he also showcased his filmy talents now and then. For the film Kabalahalli in 2001, he also received the State Award for the best story writer. He has the distinction of producing Katariveera Surasundarangi and Kurukshetra, Kannada’s first 3D film, and India’s first mythological 3D film respectively.
For those who know him, Munirathna is a worthy figure to be in politics. It needs to be seen if the 4.6 lakh residents of Rajarajeshwari Nagar feel the same on November 3rd.
