BJP fields brother of dead MLA

The BJP on Tuesday named B. N. Prahlad, brother of incumbent MLA who died during Karnataka Assembly poll campaign, as its candidate from Jayanagar Assembly constituency where the polls will be held on June 11.

The EC had countermanded the election in the constituency after the BJP candidate and incumbent MLA B. N. Vijaykumar died of heart attack on March 4.

The fractured verdict thrown up by voters has lent extra significance to the election in Jayanagar and in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency.

In a shocking incident, Anita Rajput, the BJP MLA from Dibai in Bulandshahr district, has received extortion threats from Dubai.

Dr Rajput told reporters on Tuesday that she had received a series of messages on the WhatsApp demanding a sum of Rs 10 lakhs.

She said that the person who sent the message has threatened to eliminate her family members if she did not give the amount. She further said that she had met SSP Vaibhav Krishna with her complaint on Monday and the police official has ordered registration of an FIR and directed the crime branch to conduct an inquiry.

The BJP MLA said that she began receiving messages from a mobile SIM card, purportedly registered in Dubai, since May 19. Her aide read the messages on Monday after reinstalling the app on the mobile phone.