Nagendra's 'People's Court': A bid to regain political ground

B. Nagendra | Photo credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

Minister B. Nagendra’s announcement that he is ready to resign as an MLA and seek a fresh mandate from the people appears to be a calculated attempt to take the dispute that has threatened to overshadow his political career to what he has repeatedly described as a “people’s court”.

Mr. Nagendra, who is facing charges related to alleged financial irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation, believes the Ballari Rural by-election would give him an opportunity to put his popularity to a direct electoral test while the controversy continues to unfold. Rather than let the case and BJP’s campaign against him define his political future, he seems keen to win a new mandate. During the press conference, he directly invited BJP leaders B. Sriramula and G. Janardhan Reddy to contest him in the by-election.

Political calculus

For Mr. Nagendra, the lengthy trial could become a continuing political liability as the BJP uses the Valmiki Corporation case to attack the Congress government and its political credibility. New elections could therefore offer him something that the court proceedings cannot provide him in the short term – a direct verdict of the voters.

A victory, especially against a strong BJP candidate, could help him reclaim the political narrative and strengthen his position in the Congress. There is also a practical calculation. With a by-election expected in Hiriyur following the death of former minister D Sudhakar, the vacancy in Ballari Rural could potentially see the two constituencies go to polls around the same time, allowing Mr Nagendra to test his political standing without a long wait.

A source of trust

His confidence has a clear electoral basis. Mr. Nagendra won Ballari Rural in the last two assembly elections in 2018 and 2023. The 2023 contest was particularly significant as it was a straight battle between two prominent leaders of the Valmiki community. Mr Sriramulu has long been a dominant political figure in the constituency, winning the seat in 2008, a by-election in 2011 and again in 2013.

However, the political landscape has changed since the days of the mining boom when the constituency heavily favored the BJP and Mr. Sriramula. Mr. Nagendra’s consecutive victories in 2018 and 2023 indicate that he has built his own support base. His emphatic victory over Mr. Sriramulu clearly boosted his confidence.

The Valmiki factor

The community factor could also be central to the proposed competition. Mr. Nagendra has repeatedly accused the BJP of trying to portray him as a “villain” in front of the Valmiki community, to which he and Mr. Sriramulu belong. His message is that the community knows who was behind it and who wasn’t. Hence, the new elections could become more than just a contest between the Congress and the BJP. It could turn into a test of who has more support among the Valmiki community.

But his immediate challenge is to convert trust into votes. The BJP is likely to make the Valmiki Corporation case a major issue in any by-elections, making the contest very different from the 2023 assembly elections.

Mr. Nagendra is now interested in presenting his political future to the electorate rather than allowing his opponents to define it for him. Whether the “people’s court” will deliver the political verdict it seeks is a moot point.

Published – 29 Aug 2026 06:01 IST