Newsmaker | ‘Threat to Kharge, family’: Named BJP leader convicted history-sheeter, surprise MLA candidate

Rathod, however, rejected the Congress’s allegation as “baseless” and “a lie”, calling the audio clip “fake”.

Manikanta Narendra Rathod, 26, is in the fray in the Chittapur constituency in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region against Kharge’s son and sitting MLA, Priyank Kharge. Although this is Rathod’s electoral debut, he is not a new face in the region. Prior to getting the BJP’s poll ticket, he has been known for his criminal track record marked with multiple cases that include attempt to murder, drugs and narcotics smuggling, illegal transportation of Anna Bhagya rice, illegal possession of fire arms, and criminal intimidation. While he faces 40 criminal cases, Rathod has been convicted in three cases and has served one-year sentence in prison so far. He has been out on bail in the remaining cases.

Of the three convicted cases, he was booked in 2013 for rash and negligent driving endangering public life in which he paid Rs 2,400 as fine. In 2015, he was booked for stealing milk powder that was supposed to be supplied by the government for children and served one year jail sentence. In 2015, he also had to pay Rs 2,000 as fine for giving false information to a government official.

A 10th class fail Rathod hails from the Gurmitkal belt, which had been a stronghold of Mallikarjun Kharge before he entered national politics. A former BJP worker says that Rathod started doing the rounds of Chittapur for the last six months but they had no idea that he would get the BJP’s ticket. “He started attending festival celebrations in villages, celebrated his birthday in a big way and was pooling in youth. While, he always said that his aim is to defeat Priyank Kharge, none thought that he would get a BJP ticket to contest in the election,” he says.

Although Rathod claimed to be a social worker, he was always known for the criminal cases that he faced not just in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, but also in the border districts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra, says the ex-BJP worker, who recently quit the party. “A few days before his candidature was announced, Rathod said he was a contender but no one believed it and even the BJP’s Chittapur unit issued a press statement saying he was not a party worker. Rathod used to go to Delhi to seek ticket like others for the seat. But when ticket was given to him, some BJP workers quit the party and joined Congress and some stayed back and supported Rathod. I quit because how can I go and ask votes in the name of Rathod who has such a criminal history,” he says.

Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supposed to campaign for Rathod, it was cancelled later in view of the BJP candidate’s criminal record, with the party not willing to risk any controversy in this regard. Barring MLC N Ravi Kumar, prominent BJP leaders have either refrained from campaigning for Rathod or limited their electioneering for him.

Rathod belongs to the Banjara-SC community but in Chittapur, Koli community would be the deciding factor.

In November last year, Rathod had also allegedly issued a threat to murder Priyank Kharge for which he was booked in Kalaburagi and arrested from Hyderabad. He was later released on bail in this case too.

In his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission, Rathod has declared his movable assets worth Rs 11.34 crore and immovable assets worth Rs 17.83 crore besides a loan of Rs 15.33 crore as his liabilities. His immovable assets include agricultural lands, a rice mill, and flats in Hyderabad, Kalaburgi and in Maharashtra’s Thane.