B. Nagendra[1] is an Indian politician & former Minister of Sports & Youth services. He has been elected four times as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly from the Bellary & Kudligi constituency. He started his career in Bhartiya Janata Party & later shifted to Indian national congress prior to 2018 Karnataka elections in Hospet.
Education
He is a B.com. graduate from Veerashaiva College, Bellary, Gulbarga University in the year 1993.[2]
Valmiki Development Corporation fund misappropriation (2024)
In May 2024, B. Nagendra, then Karnataka's Minister for Scheduled Tribes Welfare and chairman of the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited, was implicated in a financial scandal involving the alleged misappropriation of approximately ₹187 crore from the corporation's funds. The issue came to light following the suicide of accounts superintendent P. Chandrasekharan, who reportedly left a note alleging unauthorized fund transfers to private entities.[5]
Nagendra resigned from his ministerial position in June 2024 amid mounting political pressure. On 12 July 2024, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested him under the provisions of the PMLA in connection with the case.[6] The ED's investigation revealed that ₹187 crore had been transferred from the corporation's account without proper authorization, and a portion of these funds was allegedly used for personal expenses and to support a candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.[7]
A special court granted Nagendra bail in October 2024, directing him to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.[8] Following his release, Nagendra alleged that the ED had pressured him to implicate Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar in the case, claims which the ED has not publicly addressed.[9]
