The candidature of Congress politician D K Shivakumar, a seven-term MLA from the Kanakapura seat in Ramanagara District of Karnataka, was approved by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday.
He is presently the subject of many investigations into allegations of tax evasion and money laundering. The Income Tax (IT) department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have both registered the complaints.
On Monday, Shivakumar submitted his papers for the Kanakapura seat as his followers demonstrated their support. Shivakumar had said in a tweet, “This is the emergence of Karnataka with its basis in Kanakapura.
However, in a surprise move, Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh on Thursday entered the fray from the same constituency in what was described as Shivakumar’s “backup plan” in the event that his nomination was rejected. This was done hours before the deadline for filing nominations for the Assembly elections in Karnataka.
Later, on addressing to reporters, Suresh said, “I should be running from Kanakapura since I am a voter there. That is the instruction from the AICC and our party president. I have submitted my nomination out of caution since there are rumours of certain conspiracy.
instances of DK Shivakumar
On April 18, the Congress leader also revealed that he is the subject of 19 active criminal investigations. According to a Times Of India report, of the 19 cases, four are related to alleged income tax evasions, two have been registered by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Money Laundering Act, one involves bribery, two are related to alleged disproportionate assets, and ten are connected to protest marches led by him and his party.
On Thursday, the High Court of Karnataka rejected D K Shivakumar’s appeal contesting the permission the State Government gave the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to prosecute him. Shivakumar is the state Congress president. The State Government granted the sanction on September 25, 2019, in response to a request from the central agency, and on October 3, 2020, a FIR was filed against him.
Congressman Shivakumar was charged by the CBI in 2020 with accumulating disproportionate assets totaling Rs 75 crore that were to be accounted for as well as Rs 150 crore in assets owned by his 21-year-old daughter.
Shivakumar had contested the punishment on the grounds that the FIR was politically motivated and that he had previously been the target of three other FIRs for having a disproportionate amount of money.
In the meanwhile, the BJP nominated Vokkaliga-identified minister R Ashoka for the Kanakapura seat. With the exception of 2004–2008, Congress has maintained control of the seat in recent elections.
