Archives for 2018

The BJP won three of the six seats in the biennial Karnataka Legislative Council elections, the counting for which went late into the night on Tuesday June 12. The JD(S) won 2 seats while the Congress registered a win in only one constituency.

The 30-year dominance of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was ended by the Congress after the latter registered its first victory in the northeast graduates’ constituency in the Karnataka Legislative Council elections. Congress candidate Chandrashekhar B Patil beat his nearest rival K B Srinivas of BJP by a slender margin of 321 votes.

In the Bengaluru graduates’ constituency BJP’s Devegowda won by 3,864 votes.

Marthibbegowda of JD(S)

In a blow for the BJP in the coastal region, the party’s MLC candidate Capt Ganesh Karnik lost the election to JD(S) candidate S L Boje Gowda in the south-west teachers’ constituency.

In south teachers’ constituency JD(S) candidate Marthibbegowda defeated his nearest rival, M Laxman of the Congress.

BJP’s V A Narayanaswamy from southwest teachers constituency won by over 2,000 votes against his nearest rival, Ramesh Babu of JD(S) and in south-west graduates constituency Ayanur Manjunath of the BJP won against JD(S) candidate Arun Kumar.

The polling for six legislative council seats – three each of teachers and graduates, was held on June 8. Eight candidates – Arun Kumar of JD(S), Ayanur Manjunath of BJP, S P Dinesh of Congress, G C Patel of Sarva Janata Party, and independents Zafarulla Sattar Khan, G M Jayakumar, B R Prabhulinga and B K Manjunath were in the fray in the graduates’ constituency. Twelve candidates – Ganesh Karnik of BJP, S L Boje Gowda of JD(S), K K Manjunath Kumar of Congress, and independents Arun Hosakoppa, Aloysius D’Souza, K B Chandroji Rao, D K Tulasappa, Ampar Nityanand Shetty, B R Prabhulinga, K C Basavarajappa, M Ramesh and K P Rajendra Kumar contested in the teachers’ constituency.

The six legislative council seats are Karnataka southeast teachers’ constituency, Karnataka south teachers’ constituency, Karnataka southwest teachers’ constituency, Karnataka southwest graduates’ constituency, Bengaluru graduates’ constituency and Karnataka northeast graduates’ constituency.

Voting was preferential where the voter mentioned preference of candidates. There were 7,140 voters in the teachers’ constituencies and 15,494 voters in the graduates’ constituencies from Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Davangere districts.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s first ever press conference here on Wednesday turned out to be a huge disappointment — it lasted for 2 minutes and 45 seconds.

The media briefing was organised by the Congress state and city units at a venue in Bandra at around 8.30 a.m. and mediapersons were barged with multiple reminders.

Over 100 representatives from print, electronic and online media turned up and patiently waited for Gandhi, who breezed in almost an hour later.

After the initial introductions, a question was put to the Congress chief whether he would be willing to take over the leadership of the opposition alliance before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Brushing it aside, Gandhi repeated his criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

This also lasted less than two minutes. Then he thanked everyone and suddenly got up, ending the press conference abruptly.

A party official later said: “Rahulji was getting delayed for his onward journey to Nagpur and Nanded and other engagements.”

Many mediapersons had left their homes at 6 a.m. to reach the Bandra venue on schedule.

An apologetic Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam blamed it all on a PR team.

“We had clearly said he would give a few bytes to the electronic media. The print media was also specifically informed that he will not take any questions. The programme went as scheduled,” Nirupam told IANS.

Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Wednesday responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s fitness challenge saying that yoga and treadmill were a part of his daily workout but he was more concerned about the “development fitness” of his state.

“Dear Narendra Modiji, I am honoured and thank you very much for the concern about my health. I believe physical fitness is important for all and support the cause. Yoga-treadmill are part of my daily workout regime. Yet, I am more concerned about development fitness of my state and seek your support for it,” Kumaraswamy tweeted in response.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Prime Minister shared a fitness video of himself after he was nominated in an online fitness challenge by Indian Cricket Captain Virat Kohli and challenged the Janata Dal-Secular leader along with Table Tennis player Manika Batra and Indian Police Services (IPS) officers to take on the challenge and post their fitness videos.

“Here are moments from my morning exercises. Apart from yoga, I walk on a track inspired by the Panchtatvas or five elements of nature – Prithvi, Jal, Agni, Vayu, Aakash. This is extremely refreshing and rejuvenating. I also practice breathing exercises. #HumFitTohIndiaFit,” Modi tweeted.

“I am delighted to nominate the following for the #FitnessChallenge: Karnataka’s CM H.D. Kumaraswamy. India’s pride and among the highest medal winners for India in the 2018 CWG, Manika Batra. The entire fraternity of brave IPS officers, especially those above 40.”

The online fitness campaign was initiated last month by Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

He had posted a video of his fitness regime and challenged Bollywood star Hrithik Roshan, Kohli and badminton player Saina Nehwal to do the same.

Soumya Reddy of the Indian National Congress has triumphed from Jayanagar Assembly constituency by defeating BN Prahlad Babu of the BJP in a straight fight following the retirement of Janata Dal-Secular candidate from the electoral fray.
Soumya Reddy,daughter of R Ramalingareddy,former Home Minister and BTM layout Congress MLA won the prestigious seat dominated by middle-class people.She bagged 54,457 votes while BN Prahlad Babu could manage 51,568 votes after 16 rounds of counting got over.Soumya Reddy defeated the BJP candidate by a slender margin of 2,889 votes.
Ravikrishna Reddy who parted ways with the Aam Adami Party and contested as an Independent candidate could get a meager 1,591 votes and lost his deposit.808 people preferred NOTA.
It may be recalled that R Ramalingareddy had represented Jayanagar constituency for four terms till delimitation.After that he switched over to neighboring BTM layout constituency.He is representing that constituency successively for the second time.
The strength of the Congress party has increased from 78 to 80 with the party winning in the deferred elections in Rajarajeshwarinagar Assembly constituency and now in the countermanded Jayanagar constituency as well.
Ramanagar in Ramanaga district and Jamakhandi in Bagalkote district will soon be facing bye-elections.HD Kumaraswamy resigned to Ramanagar after retaining the neighboring Channapatna constituency in Ramanagar district.
Siddu Nyamagouda,Jamakhandi Congress MLA passed away in a fatal road accident while he was returning from Goa.He had been to New Delhi to lobby for a ministerial berth in the alliance government.
Hindusthan Samachar/Manohar Yadavatti

 At least 16 people were killed near Kiratpur village in Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday morning.

Thirteen passengers were severely injured in the accident. They have been admitted to the district hospital of Mainpuri. Three of the passengers seriously injured have been shifted to Safai hospital in Etawah district.

According to police, the accident took place when a private tourist bus lost control and rammed into the road divider this morning.

The bus was traveling from Jaipur to Farukkhabad in UP.

Senior police officials from Mainpuri are at the accident spot and cranes have been pressed into action to lift the turtled bus lying on divider.

Hindusthan Samachar/Shri Ram Shaw

 
Four BSF personnel including an Assistant Commandant were martyred in firing by Pakistani forces in Samba district last night. Five jawans were severely injured in Pak shelling.

Pakistani troops from across the border resorted to unprovoked firing targeting Chamliyal and Narayanpur BSF posts in Ramgarh sector around 10 PM Tuesday night.

Pakistan Rangers’ sniper shots resulted in casualties and injuries to the BSF men deployed at the Indian positions. The BSF troops guarding the border retaliated and exchange of fire continued 2 AM.

Hindusthan Samachar/Shri Ram Shaw

It is learned that Karnataka CM, H D Kumaraswamy, who has been tired by the impedance by his father and brother in each aspect of the governance, has told them that their habit of poking nose in all governmental issues is unwelcome.

Kumaraswamy is learned to have spilled out his sentiments in front of his closed ones in which he disclosed that he rose to be the Chief Minister of Karnataka under peculiar conditions and that he has been experiencing pressure from Congress on different issues. He wonders how he can work if relatives too try to have their say in all parts of the government.

Sources expressed that the CM told his brother H D Revanna, and father, H D Deve Gowda, that he doesn’t need the interference of his family members, brothers and all others in the governmental affairs and that he must be without given free hands in these issues.

It is learned that after Kumaraswamy won the trust vote in the assembly, Deve Gowda had held meetings with the chief secretary of the administration, K Ratna Prabha, additional chief secretary, Laxminarayana, director general of police, Neelamani N Raju, city police commissioner, T Sunil Kumar and others. At the point when Kumaraswamy held meetings of officials from departments of horticulture, agriculture and so forth in the Vidhana Soudha, Revanna had assembled a meeting of Karnataka Milk Federation despite the fact that he isn’t associated with it. In addition, when Kumaraswamy was tending to a press meet, Revanna had intervened, which had raged Kumaraswamy.

By virtue of these reasons, Kumaraswamy has advised his family members to stay away from things with which they are not concerned with, reports expressed.