Karnataka BJP MP Sudhakar ‘throws alcohol party’ to celebrate poll win, draws flak

Jagadeesh Choudary, the BJP’s president for Nelamangala taluk, who sought police permission for the party, admitted that distributing alcohol was part of the plan. “I was told to get the permission for the event and we had got a licence from the excise department to distribute alcohol among 500-5,000 people,” he told indianexpress.com.

More than 4,000 people including BJP workers attended the party.

According to police sources, however, C K Baba, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru Rural, had told the organisers not to serve alcohol and also orally suggested to excise department officials that they not grant the licence as it would put them in a bad light.

Speaking to reporters at the Assembly on Monday, D K Shivakumar said, “Liquor has been distributed to BJP party workers at a public event in Nelamangala. To register a case in this regard is another matter, but before that BJP national president J P Nadda must answer how his party allowed its MP to distribute liquor to party workers in a public event.”

“Rather than the local BJP leaders, it is important that national leaders of BJP tell people how the BJP is upholding the culture of land by distributing liquor in public meetings,” the Congress leader further said.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundurao posted on X, “Saying one thing, doing another, how to believe them (BJP)… BJP leaders are busy distributing liquor while the state is facing dengue. Where are the BJP leaders who questioned venturing into swimming when I visited Mangaluru? Is this (distribution of liquor) your culture?”

When Sudhakar lost the 2023 Assembly election to Pradeep Eshwar, it was considered one of the biggest upsets. However, he managed to defeat Congress candidate M S Raksha Ramaiah by a margin of more than 1.5 lakh in the recent Lok Sabha elections.

When contacted, the BJP leader told indianexpress.com, “I was invited to the felicitation programme organised by our local leaders and karyakartas (workers) in Nelamangala. I was not aware that liquor was being distributed. In fact, I came to know about it only through the media. In my 20 years of political career I have never indulged in such politics. Even if our karyakartas have done it, it’s wrong.”