Karnataka polls: Suresh files nomination from brother DK Shivakumar's constituency as “precaution”

Bengaluru Rural Congress MP DK Suresh filed his nomination from the Kanakapura assembly constituency on Thursday, three days after his brother Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar filed his nomination from the same seat.

Suresh's nomination is reportedly a precautionary measure, in case Shivakumar’s nomination gets rejected by the election authorities.

In his election affidavit, Shivakumar has listed 19 cases related to tax evasion and money laundering filed against him. The Enforcement Directorate had summoned him for a second time in a money laundering case in October last year. The agency had earlier arrested him in a different money laundering case in September 2019, for which he was granted bail in October.



KPCC communication department head Priyank Kharge told ET that the party believes the BJP will file cases with the Income tax department and the Enforcement Directorate, stopping at nothing to ensure big leaders cannot contest elections. “If you look at the candidate they have fielded against him [Shivakumar]…they are targeting major leaders, we can see a pattern,” he said. The Congress has no plans of filing back-up nominations for other leaders’ constituencies, he added.

The BJP has fielded Revenue minister R Ashoka from Kanakapura against Shivakumar. Ashoka is also contesting from padmana