Munirathna Naidu, known mononymously as Munirathna is an Indian film producer-turned-politician[1] from Karnataka who served as the Minister of Horticulture and Planning, Programme Monitoring & Statistics of Karnataka from 4 August 2021. Member of the BJP, he was elected as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Karnataka from Rajarajeshwari Nagar in the years 2013, 2018, 2020, and 2024. [2][3]
In December 2014, Lokayukta police recovered 1016 BBMP files related to Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency from Munirathna's house in Vyalikaval.[5][6]
In March 2018, Munirathna was named in a ₹1500 crore BBMP fake bill chargesheet by the Crime Investigation Department.[7] In the chargesheet, Munirathna, who was working as a civil contractor in 2008–09, was found "colluding with BBMP officials and swindling [money] by executing poor quality road work."[8]
Days before the 2018 Karnataka Legislative Assembly election in May 2018, Bangalore Police booked a criminal case against Munirathna after the Election Commission found around 10,000 fake voter ID cards in an apartment in Jalahalli.[9] As a result of this scandal the election in the Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency was postponed to 28 May, with Munirathna emerging victorious.[10][11]
Muniratna was arrested for issuing a death threat, sent to police custody. [12]
