Bhageerathi Murulya

Bhagirathi Murulya is an Indian politician who was first elected to office in 2023^{[1][2][3][4][5]} as a member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly representing the Sullia constituency.^{[6][7][8][9][10]} She is a member of the women's and children's welfare committee.^[11] This seat had previously been held for six terms by Angara S., before Murulya was selected as a BJP candidate.^{[12][13][14][15][16][17]} Murulya belongs to the Tulu-speaking Adi Dravida community,^[18] and she was the poorest candidate to win a seat in the assembly.^[19] Murulya had worked as a tailor and a teacher before becoming a MLA.^[20] Murulya took the oath in the name of her family deity.^[21]

Murulya, the BJP candidate^[22][23][24] secured the seventh consecutive victory for her party in Sullia,^[25][26] and became the first Dalit woman from Tulu Nadu to enter the legislative assembly. Sullia, one of 19 assembly segments in coastal Karnataka, was the only reserved constituency for a scheduled caste candidate in the election.^[27] She defeated her closest rival, Krishnappa from the Congress party, by 30,864 votes, and took 57% of the vote share. Murulya had previously served as a member of the councils (panchayat) for Dakshina Kannada zilla and Sullia taluk.^[1][28]