SDPI to contest in 100 seats in Karnataka assembly polls

MANGALURU, (PTI): The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) will contest in 100 seats in the coming assembly elections in Karnataka, SDPI state secretary Afasar Kodlipete said on Tuesday.

Addressing reporters in Udupi, he said the first list of the SDPI candidates has already been released. The party will contest eight seats in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi.

He said the JD(S)-Congress government and the BJP government had proved to be ‘failures’ in the last five years. The present BJP government is steeped in corruption, he alleged.

After the BJP government came to power, five percent commission is being sought for approval of projects and 40 percent commission to pass the bills, he claimed.

The SDPI leader further alleged that VHP leader Sharan Pumpwell was involved in all the murders of Muslims in Udupi and DK districts since 2016. He wondered why the state government is no taking action against his reported speech claiming that Hindu youths had murdered Fazil of Surathkal to avenge the killing BJP youth wing leader Praveen Nettaru.

He charged the BJP government with adopting a ‘discriminatory approach’ towards cases involving the murder of Muslim youths. While Praveen Nettaru murder case was handed over to NIA, the murder cases of Jaleel at Katipalla and Fazil in Surathkal were not handed over to central agencies, he said.

SDPI Udupi district president Shahid Ali and party candidate for Kaup assembly segment Hanif Muloor were present. (PTI)