Karnataka education minister BC Nagesh, architect of Hijab ban and economic boycott against Muslims, defeated in election

by Muslim Mirror Staff

In the recent Karnataka Assembly election held on May 13, 2023, BJP’s Education Minister BC Nagesh, known for implementing the ban on Hijab/Headscarf, faced defeat.

He was defeated by Congress’ K Shadakshari from the Tiptur constituency. K Shadakshari secured a significant victory, garnering a margin of 17,652 votes over Nagesh.

In the 2018 Assembly election, Nagesh emerged victorious from the Tiptur constituency with a comfortable margin of 25,563 votes. However, during the 2023 polls, the tables turned as Congress’ Shadakshari won the seat with a margin of 11,563 votes. Shadakshari had previously become an MLA from the same constituency in 2013. The Tiptur seat witnessed a total of 1,54,676 electors exercising their right to vote during the recent election.

Following a divided ruling by the Supreme Court on the Karnataka High Court’s decision to prohibit Muslim girls from wearing hijabs in government colleges, Nagesh remained adamant that the order would remain in effect. He actively championed the campaign against the use of hijabs in government institutions.

Previously, the BJP leader sparked controversy with his statement that religious texts like the Bible and the Quran should not be equated with the Bhagavad Gita.

In 2021, Nagesh was appointed as the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education in Basavaraj Bommai’s ministry.

As the election results were announced, the Congress party is poised to secure a comfortable victory in the southern state, signifying the BJP’s departure from the southern region of India. The Congress party has either won or is leading in 137 out of 224 assembly seats, surpassing the required majority mark of 113 seats.