<p>Sampangi was the first public representative to be caught by the Lokayukta police while accepting a bribe, but refused to resign as MLA.<br /><br />Govindaraju, a BBMP Corporator from the Ganesh Mandir Ward, too joined the ranks of Sampangi after he fell into the Lokayukta net while accepting a bribe of Rs two lakh from a builder.<br /><br />Govindaraju’s party has disowned him, but he is firm about not disowning the BBMP and has refused to resign from the Palike Council.<br /><br />“Why should I resign? Have the ‘gani dhanis’ (mining lords) and Sampangi resigned from the Assembly? Ask them first to resign, I will surely follow them,” Govindaraju remarked.<br /><br />He blamed the former corporator of the ward A H Basavaraju for conniving with his financier <br />Udaya to trap him.<br /><br />“Udaya had approached me saying that Kiran (Govindaraju’s friend) wanted to borrow money and wanted me to stand surety. Today Udaya met me and gave me money forcibly. <br />In the meantime, the Lokayukta police raided my place and caught me. I am innocent,” Govindaraju said in his defence. He added that he realised there was a possible nexus between Udaya and Basavaraju only after he was trapped.<br /><br />Govindaraju criticised the ruling BJP saying: “The party has stooped so low that it is attempting to damage the Opposition members at the grassroots level.”<br /><br />Congress dumps Govindaraju<br /><br />Misfortune never comes alone. Soon after Congress Corporator Govindaraju was caught red-handed by the Lokayukta on Saturday evening, his party turned hostile towards him and showed him the door.<br /><br />The Party State General Secretary H Abdul Wahab suspended him saying the incident affected the party’s image.</p>
<p>Sampangi was the first public representative to be caught by the Lokayukta police while accepting a bribe, but refused to resign as MLA.<br /><br />Govindaraju, a BBMP Corporator from the Ganesh Mandir Ward, too joined the ranks of Sampangi after he fell into the Lokayukta net while accepting a bribe of Rs two lakh from a builder.<br /><br />Govindaraju’s party has disowned him, but he is firm about not disowning the BBMP and has refused to resign from the Palike Council.<br /><br />“Why should I resign? Have the ‘gani dhanis’ (mining lords) and Sampangi resigned from the Assembly? Ask them first to resign, I will surely follow them,” Govindaraju remarked.<br /><br />He blamed the former corporator of the ward A H Basavaraju for conniving with his financier <br />Udaya to trap him.<br /><br />“Udaya had approached me saying that Kiran (Govindaraju’s friend) wanted to borrow money and wanted me to stand surety. Today Udaya met me and gave me money forcibly. <br />In the meantime, the Lokayukta police raided my place and caught me. I am innocent,” Govindaraju said in his defence. He added that he realised there was a possible nexus between Udaya and Basavaraju only after he was trapped.<br /><br />Govindaraju criticised the ruling BJP saying: “The party has stooped so low that it is attempting to damage the Opposition members at the grassroots level.”<br /><br />Congress dumps Govindaraju<br /><br />Misfortune never comes alone. Soon after Congress Corporator Govindaraju was caught red-handed by the Lokayukta on Saturday evening, his party turned hostile towards him and showed him the door.<br /><br />The Party State General Secretary H Abdul Wahab suspended him saying the incident affected the party’s image.</p>