Sources in the BJP claim that she had a say in allotting party tickets, thanks to her friendship with former Civil Aviation Minister Ananth Kumar
Sources in the BJP claim that she had a say in allotting party tickets, thanks to her friendship with former Civil Aviation Minister Ananth KumarDisgraced lobbyist Niira Radia had spread her influence over the state politics, and is understood to have gotten BJP tickets for at least a couple of politicians in the last assembly poles, sources have revealed.
Controversial connection: MP from Bangalore (South) H N Ananth
Kumar,u00a0Niira Radia. File picsAfter Rao Deeraj Singh, a former business partner of Radia, kicked up a storm in the political circles by exposing her links with H N Ananth Kumar, BJP MP from Bangalore (South) and a former minister in the NDA government last week, this startling revelation comes from a BJP source.
According to the source, she had a say in allotting party tickets, thanks to her friendship with Kumar.
A reliable source said that Radia was introduced to Kumar, the then civil aviation minister, by a high profile pontiff from Udupi in 1998, following which the two became close.
While only two BJP leaders could manage to get party ticket to contest in 2004 assembly polls, an outsider entered the fray as a BJP candidate, in 2008, thanks to Radia's intervention.
Interestingly, all the candidates are from Bangalore city, where Kumar has a stronghold as a representing MP. In 2004, he was the president of the state unit with the power to issue tickets, while in 2008 he decided on most of the candidates in the city.
"There was a stiff fight for the party ticket in a particular constituency with a well-known face from the Brahmin community vying for the candidature, in 2008." said a senior leader in the BJP.
"Kumar, a Brahmin, didn't want a fellow Brahmin to flourish, and he preferred a Vokkaliga candidate. That candidate had Radia's backing," he added.
The candidate was not originally a BJP member and he reportedly met Radia with the help of another lobbyist at the latter's Delhi residence before the polls. After a deal was struck, Radia assured him of the ticket and got it done.
"It was a surprise for us because the candidate who was selected originally, had already started his preparations for the campaign," said the leader. " We later came to know that Radia had helped him. But I am happy that the candidate won the elections."
Narayan Gambir, spokesperson for Ananth Kumar said, "The Congress is trying to draw attention from the 2G scam.u00a0 Singh has a criminal background and his statements are not reliable. The reports on ticket distribution are just speculative," he said.
