Corruption cloud shadow again on Karnataka BJP: Who is absconding MLA Madal Virupakshappa?

The two-time BJP MLA from Channagiri, Davanagere, is a close aide of former CM B S Yediyurappa and had followed him out of the BJP and back over a decade ago. Lokayukta officials recovered more than Rs 8 crore from the MLA's office and his son's home on Thursday.

Channagari MLA Madal Virupakshappa, who resigned as a chairman of the state PSU, is currently absconding. (Facebook: Madal Virupakshappa)

Written by: Kiran Parashar

5 min readBengaluruMar 3, 2023 08:38 PM IST First published on: Mar 3, 2023 at 08:38 PM IST

Even as it attempts to fend off the Opposition’s corruption allegations, the Karnataka BJP finds itself embroiled in another graft row. On Thursday evening, the state Lokayukta caught Channagari MLA Madal Virupakshappa’s son V Prakash Madal who works as a chief accountant with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) for allegedly accepting a bribe to get a tender from the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL). The MLA is the chairman of the state public sector unit. He subsequently resigned from the KSDL and is currently absconding.

The 72-year-old two-time BJP MLA from Channagiri in Davanagere district belongs to the Sadar Lingayat community, which is a Lingayat subsect. A close aide of former Chief Minister and BJP parliamentary board member B S Yediyurappa, his political journey began with the Congress. He later joined the BJP and won his first election in 2008. Along with Congress MP Shamanur Shivashankarappa, Virupakshappa is one of the most prominent leaders from Davangere.

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When Yedyiurappa severed ties with the BJP and floated the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) in 2012, Virupakshappa followed him and pledged his loyalty to the veteran BJP leader. That year, he lost the Assembly election to Congress leader Vadnal Rajanna.

As Yediyurappa returned to the BJP fold in 2014, so did Virupakshappa. In 2018, Virupakshappa managed to win from Channagiri but was not given a Cabinet berth. Two years later, during Yedyiurappa’s tenure as CM, Virupakshappa was appointed KSDL chairman.

BJP insiders told The Indian Express that Virupakshappa was unlikely to get a ticket in the coming Assembly elections. His other son Mallikarjun Madal is also attempting to contest on a BJP ticket.

Read | Named in bribery case, Karnataka BJP MLA quits as chief of govt firm, ‘absconding’

Meanwhile, following the Lokayukta episode, the BJP proclaimed the “impartiality” of the ombudsman. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday told reporters, “The incumbent government re-established the Lokayukta (the Anti Corruption Bureau looked at such cases during the previous Congress regime) to check corruption. In the absence of the anti-corruption institution during the Congress regime, so many incidents were hushed up.”

He added, “The Lokayukta is an autonomous institution. It will inquire on the basis of money found along with the pieces of evidence. Everything must come out, even to whom the money belonged. It must be known to everyone. Those who have made the mistake will be punished.”

Saying that nothing was being “hushed up”, Bommai hit out at the Congress. “Congress ministers and MLAs had 59 charges, but they were hushed up as previously there was the ACB. Once that is enquired by the Lokayukta, the truth will come out … Former minister K J George continues favouring the ACB. This will show who is in favour of corruption. The Congress cannot claim itself as the clean party as it had done in the past. Cases have been registered against Congress ministers. Now, everything is being enquired by Lokayukta.”

All India Congress Committee general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala attacked the ruling BJP government, saying the case was yet another example of the “40 per cent commission government”.

“Blatant loot of money is going on right under his (Bommai) nose and no one is worried. Who allowed Madal Virupakshappa to abscond? He needs to be removed from the MLA post. I also demand the government to conduct a judicial probe in the matter,” he added.

The FIR leading to Prashant’s arrest was filed on Thursday morning by an individual who was allegedly asked to cough up a bribe. According to officials, Prashant was caught accepting the bribe in his father’s office at Crescent Road in Bengaluru. Officials said they seized Rs 2.02 crore in cash from there. A follow-up raid at the residence of Prashant, who works as a chief accountant with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), resulted in the seizure of Rs 6.1 crore of unaccounted cash, said Lokayukta officials.

In the FIR, the police have named Virupakshappa as accused number one and Prashant as the second accused. Surendra, an accountant at Prashant’s office; Siddesh, a relative of Prashant; and Karnataka Aromas company field workers Albert Nicola and Gangadhar have also been named.