Bhageerathi Murulya

Bhagirathi Murulya, 48, is the member of legislative assembly of Sullia assembly 16th constituency. She is a member of the Women and Children Welfare Committee. Prior to Bhagirathi, S. Angara consequently won the last six assembly election in Sullia legislative assembly. She belongs to Tulu speaking Adi Dravida (Scheduled Cast) community. Her financial background was very poor with total assets worth Rs 28.25lakh and she worked as a tailor and a teacher before becoming an MLA. She took take oath in the name of her family deity.

Bhagirathi Murulya, the BJP candidate from the Sullia Assembly constituency in Dakshina Kannada, secured the seventh consecutive victory for her party in Sullia, marking her as the first Dalit woman from Tulu Nadu to enter the Legislative Assembly. Sullia, among the 19 Assembly segments in coastal Karnataka, was the sole reserved constituency for a Scheduled Caste candidate. In a notable electoral achievement, she defeated her closest rival, G. Krishnappa from the Congress, by a substantial margin of 30,864 votes. Murulya garnered 93,902 votes (57.04%), while Krishnappa received 63,038 votes (38.29%). Both candidates were political newcomers. Murulya had previously served as a member of Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat and Sullia Taluk Panchayat.