Mind-boggling money and local disputes breed rivalries

The murder of BBMP Gandhinagar ward corporator S Nataraj is being seen in the backdrop of the fact that the ward is in the heart of the commercial hub, Gandhinagar. The ground realities in the area are an ideal breeding ground for political, business and personal rivalries as people try to protect their turf.

Bomb Naga, one of the suspects for Nataraj’s murder, is reportedly preparing to eliminate his next target—Congress corporator T Mallesh from Subhashnagar.

Sources in the police and Congress leaders in BBMP said V Nagaraj alias Bomb Naga told his associates on Sunday that he will eliminate Congress corporators in Gandhinagar constituency and Mallesh is first in line. After Nataraj’s murder, the police detained and interrogated Naga to verify his alleged involvement in the murder along with other suspects.

Lending credence to these reports, Gandhinagar MLA and Congress leader, Dinesh Gundu Rao, has already sought police security.  Sources said at least 10 corporators are on Naga’s hit list and many corporators have sought security for various reasons in the past one year.

Congress corporator from Dattatreya temple ward, RS Satyanarayana, met mayor R Shardamma on Monday and sought police protection.