Archives for May 2018

The main opposition Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) on Thursday won the bypolls to both the Gomia and Silli Assembly constituencies, a poll official said.

In Silli, JMM candidate Seema Mahto defeated ruling ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) President Sudesh Mahto by 13,508 votes.

She received 77,121 votes while Mahto secured 63,613 votes.

In Gomia, which the ruling alliance partners BJP and AJSU contested separately, JMM candidate Babita Devi won by 1,800 votes, defeated AJSU candidate Lambodar Mahto, while BJP’s Madavlal Singh came third.

The polling for the two seats took place on May 28.

Silli and Gomia had witnessed 75 and 62 per cent polling respectively.

In a jolt to its ally Shiv Sena which had “hijacked” the family of its late MP, its ally Bharatiya Janata Party retained the Palghar Lok Sabha seat where its candidate Rajendra Gavit won the bypolls, the results of which were announced on Thursday afternoon.

BJP’s Gavit defeated his nearest rival, Shriniwas Vanga of the Sena and the son of sitting MP Chintaman Vanga, whose death in January had necessitated the bypoll, by over 29,000 votes.

While Shriniwas Vanga had joined the Sena on the eve of the elections, Gavit had quit the Congress to join the BJP and was rewarded with a ticket for the high-stake seat.

“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and all the party leaders and workers for this victory. I dedicate this (achievement) to the late BJP leader Pandurang Phundkar (who died this morning),” Gavit said.

As per available figures, Gavit secured a little over 272,000 votes compared to Vanga’s 243,000 votes.

Locally strong party Bahujan Vikas Aghadi’s candidate Baliram Jadhav got a little more than 222,000 votes, while the Congress candidate Damodar Shingada was the poor fourth.

The Sena has raised objections to the vote counting process, alleging discrepancies in figures, especially in the rounds 20-24, and plans to raise the matter with the Election Commission.

Meanwhile, the BJP has announced it will not have any victory celebrations in Palghar in view of the death of its minister and senior leader Phundkar this morning, said Minister of State for Medical Education Ravindra Chavan, who is considered the architect of the Palghar victory.

R Munirathna Naidu of the Congress has retained Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly constituency in the city by defeating Tulasi Munirajugowda of the BJP by a margin of 25,492 votes.The INC candidate bagged 1,08,064 votes while the nearest BJP rival scored 82,572 votes and Ramachandragowda of the JDS finished third by getting 60,360 votes.

It may be recalled here that the Rajarajeshwarinagar constituency didn’t go to polls on 15 May last following seizure of around 10,000 voter IDs’ in a apartment of the constituency and the polling was deferred to 28 May.

Following the election of R Munirathna Naidu the strength of the Congress remains at 78 itself following the accidental death of Siddu Nyamagouda,party MLA of Jamakhandi constituency in Bagalkote district.

Jayanagar constituency in the city will be going to polls on 11 June.The polling on 15 May was countermanded following the untimely demise of BN Vijayakumar,BJP sitting MLA.

Elections are also due in Ramanagar constituency since HD Kumaraswamy chose to retain Channapatna and resigned from the membership of Ramanagar.

Now the strength of various parties in the state Assembly remains as follows:

Total strength of elected members:224

BJP:104

INC: 78

JDS: 37

Vacancies: Ramanagar and Jamakhandi

Polling due on 11 June: Jayanagar

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of the Janata Dal-Secular has said that waiver of farm loans will be done, and if it was taking a little more time than expected, it was only because he needed to take his coalition partner, the Congress, along on all decisions.

“This government is not in the sleeping mode. We are at the work of Karnataka citizens,” Mr. Kumaraswamy said after the meeting of farmer leaders, top officials and the BJP to draw up the contours of the loan waiver. The assertion was a response to barbs from the BJP’s BS Yeddyurappa who has been targeting the chief minister, accusing him of going back on his loan waiver promise.

Manifestos of all parties released before the election spoke of farmer distress. Mr. Kumaraswamy, who still doesn’t have a cabinet in place because of differences with its ally the Congress over the division of portfolios, held the meeting to take the farm loan waiver plan forward and to reassure farmers that he was serious about the issue.

But all was not smooth sailing as farmers argued among themselves too as well as expressing doubt about the government’s intentions. They kept insisting that the discussion focus on the loan waiver.

Farmers’ representatives were outspoken. “We have not come here to beg. We need help because of the drought,” one farmer said.

“This government will not go tomorrow. We are here for five years. We are here to help you. You have to give me breathing space. Give me time,” the chief minister told them.

His deputy G Parameshwara of the Congress added, “We are talking of 53,000 crores. Mr. Kumaraswamy may have taken that decision if his party had formed the government by itself. As a coalition government, we have to take decisions together.”

The BJP was also represented at the meeting by deputy leader of the opposition, Govind Karjol. He was shouted down at times as farmers demanded to know what the central government was doing to help.

The BJP has been putting pressure on the coalition government to waive the loans and had called a state-wide bandh on Monday on the issue that did not get a very strong response.

Harish of the Karnataka state farmers’ association, farmers needed, “These are all just short-term solutions. We need minimum support price – we need long-term solutions.”

Armed with a search warrant it obtained on Wednesday night, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) might raid the houses of friends and relatives of Congress leader DK Shivakumar in connection with the demonetized currency notes case, agency sources said.
One bank manager, who was held in the demonetization currency case, has said that he did it at the behest of senior Congress leader DK Suresh. The CBI has obtained search warrant against Suresh and 11 others.
It is yet to be ascertained whether the Shivakumar is one among those 11.
DK Suresh, who got the information on Wednesday night, held a press meet on Thursday morning alleging that it was a conspiracy against him for helping his brother to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party from coming to power.
While CBI sources from Delhi were yet to confirm about the raid, sources close to DK Suresh said that the raid had begun, but they were yet to search the house of Suresh.
Brothers deplore witch-hunt
At the press meet, DK Shivakumar and his brother Bangalore Rural MP DK Suresh deplored the political move by BJP government for “letting loose” the CBI against them to lure them to support the BJP.

The leaders alleged that they were under “constant pressure from the BJP sources” since the days Gujarat legislators landed in Bangalore last year to support the BJP. “But the BJP is making every effort to lure us towards them,” the Congress leaders said.

The brothers expressed confidence they would withstand all the “machinations and temptations” and would remain loyal to the Congress party.
As regards search warrants, DK Suresh asserted his name and that of his brother were included afresh after the BJP government failed to prove majority in the Karnataka assembly. It was evident that BJP has to accept the defeat as DK Shivakumar played a prominet role in keeping the Congress and JD(S) legislators together.
The brothers expressed confidence they would withstand all the “machinations and temptations” and would remain loyal to the Congress party.