BN Vijaya Kumar passes away at 59: Two-time BJP MLA played active role in ABVP, spearheaded RTI movement

A two-time MLA from Jayanagar constituency in Bengaluru, BJP’s BN Vijaya Kumar played an active role in the Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) from his college days. The sitting BJP MLA passed away on Friday at the age of 59 after suffering a massive cardiac arrest in the early hours of Friday. A candidate for the upcoming 12 May Assembly polls, Kumar completed his education from HAL School and RV High School. He then studied civil engineering from the BMS College of Engineering in Bengaluru, and it was here that he began participating in ABVP activities, as per the BJP website. [caption id=“attachment_4456163” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of late BJP MLA BN Vijaya Kumar. Facebook page titled BNVijayakumarMLA[/caption] Prior to joining the BJP in the 1990s, Kumar worked in construction and cement companies in various cities like Ranchi, Guwahati and Vijaywada, according to  Citizen Matters. As a BJP worker, Vijaya Kumar soon climbed the rungs of the party and remained the party’s city general secretary for 12 years, before becoming the president of the BJP Bengaluru unit. Described by his peers as a sincere and hard working leader, Kumar won the Jayanagar seat in 2008 with 43,164 votes, a victory margin of 23.05 percent. The runner up, M Suresh of Congress, received only 20,570 votes, according to the Election Commission_._  In the 2013 Assembly election, Kumar returned to power again, defeating Congress’ MC Venugopal by 12,312 votes. The late BJP MLA was also a campaigner of RTI, and spearheaded the movement to use Right to Information Act and obtain information on government works. According to his website, he also led protests against illegal collection of parking fees and corruption in asphalting of roads in Bengaluru. A candidate for the upcoming 12 May Assembly polls, Kumar had collapsed during an election campaign in Jayanagar constituency in the city. He was shifted to the government-run Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, where efforts to resuscitate him failed. The party’s state unit chief BS Yeddyurappa mourned the death. “I am deeply pained at the untimely demise of my friend and party stalwart Vijaya Kumar…,” he tweeted.

I am deeply pained at the untimely demise of my friend & party stalwart Jayanagar MLA Shri @BNVijaykumar. May God give strength to his family to bear this huge loss. We will work to strengthen his ideals.

— B.S.Yediyurappa (@BSYBJP) May 4, 2018

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah also expressed his condolences over Kumar’s demise. “..I express my condolences to his family and loved ones. Vijaya Kumar was a sincere and hard working political leader,” he tweeted.

Jayanagara MLA Shri B N Vijaya Kumar has died suddenly apparently due to cardiac arrest.

I express my condolences to his family & loved ones. Shri Vijaya Kumar was a sincere & hard working political leaders

May his soul rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/Q7D8lERleZ

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) May 4, 2018

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The Election Commission was likely to countermand the poll in Jayanagar Assembly seat on account of Kumar’s death as a candidate in the fray. With inputs from agencies