SM Krishna's ex-gunman aims at assembly seat

A one-time gunman for senior politician SM Krishna is now gunning for a Congress ticket to contest from one of the city constituencies.

R Manjunath was personal security guard for Krishna for 17 years, before turning into an entrepreneur, representing a high-end tyre company, and is eyeing Dasarahalli.

Hoping to get the Congress ticket, he is gearing up to take on BJP MLA Muniraju, a close confidante of deputy chief minister R Ashoka.

Before taking on Muniraju, Manjunath will have to cross two tough hurdles - senior Congress leaders Lokesh Gowda and Jayanthi Bhagavan, president of the Bangalore Urban district women’s wing.

Manjunath makes no bones about the invisible hand of Krishna behind his personal growth from a policeman to a businessman.

With disarming honesty, he says he understood politics by shadowing Krishna as his gunman during his stint in Parliament and in the government. The same simple transparency is in evidence again when he says that the former chief minister helped his son get a medical seat.

So, what makes him feel he can win against Muniraju? “I am into social service since for 8-10 years since taking voluntary retirement from government service. I have identified with the poor and helped people on whom false cases were foisted at the police stations. Now, I can confidently say that people of the constituency are with me,” he claims.

@ashimysore