The upcoming May 19 byelections to two assembly segments in the state seem to have turned into a battle of prestige for Congress and BJP leaders in the state. Not leaving anything to chance, top leaders from both the parties are going all guns blazing into the polls.

Determined to retain the seats that it had won in 2018 assembly elections, the Congress has virtually deployed all its leaders in these two constituencies, while former CM and party state unit president BS Yeddyurappa is leading the BJP’s campaign. “It is a prestige issue for the Congress party and all of us as one of our ‘very own’ has betrayed the party and joined BJP,’” said Eshwar Khandre, Congress candidate from Bidar LS constituency.

The BJP, however, seem to be not concerned about big contingent of Congress leaders in both the segments. “Our strategy is different from that of Congress. We are directly reaching out to voters and explaining to them why they should not vote for Congress,” said BJP General Secretary and MLC N Ravi Kumar.

In Kundagol, Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar has taken charge of the Congress campaign, while JDS leaders, including Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy too are likely to be part of joint rallies. For the BJP, many senior leaders including Jagadish Shettar, KS Eshwarappa, V Somanna are campaigning extensively. In 2018, BJP candidate SI Chikkangoudar had lost with a narrow margin of around 600 votes which he is confident of overcoming while the Congress is banking on sympathy
factor working for its candidate Kusuma Shivalli, wife of CS Shivalli.

Agencies

Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala BJP President PS Sreedharan Pillai was served a notice by the Election Commission for his speech on Balakot Air Strike during his election campaign in Attingal Lok Sabha constituency.

The Commission has sought a reply from Mr Pillai with in 24 hours on receipt of the notice, party sources said.

Referring to the criticism of CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury and AICC President Rahul Gandhi against the Balakot Air Strike, the BJP leader said Muslims have certain signs which can be identified by removing their clothes.

Later, the BJP clarified that Mr Pillai was referring to the terrorists of those killed in the Balakot Air Strike conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF).

Mr Pillai also clarified that the terrorists have certain signs which can be identified by removing their clothes.

Later, the police filed a case against him under sections 153 and 153 A of IPC after receiving a complaint from CPI(M) leader V Sivankutty alleging that his remarks hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims.

Following the BJP leader’s remarks, the State Chief Electoral Officer had sent a report to Chief Election Commissioner following which a notice was served to Mr Pillai.

By : Manohar Yadavatti

The ruling Janata Dal Secular party much contrary to the general public perception is said to be making all out last ditch efforts to register a win in Mandya,Tumakuru and Hassan Lok Sabha constituencies if not the remaining other three constituencies having party candidates.

There are several reasons being put forth by the party bigwigs for anticipating such big surprise outcome quite contrary to the perceived notions being projected so for on local private TV channels and the social media.
A couple of TV channels have also aired the survey ‘findings’ about these three key constituencies which have suddenly become a cynosure to all political onlookers not in the host state alone but elsewhere across the country and abroad as well.While one channel which also holds the dubious distinction of being ‘bought’ over by the ruling party proclaimed that Nikhil Kumaraswamy,actor son of HD Kumaraswamy,Chief Minister will win by a huge margin of 1.80-2 lakh votes and another channel belonging to a national group hinted about his victory.
The latter claimed,according to a survey of six lakh people on the ground 43 percent of the people favored Ms Sumalatha Ambareesh,BJP supported Independent candidate and 58 percent of them hinted at her debacle!For Janata Dal Secular which was dubbed as ‘Father and sons’ party’ by none other than H Vishwanath,present state JDS president during 2014 Parliamentary elections when he was the Congress candidate in Mysuru,winning in these three constituencies has literally become a matter of political life and death?
The seriousness with which HD Devegowda and family is sweating day and night to somehow wrest the three constituencies probably will later become an interesting chapter of the state’s political history.
As reported earlier the JDS which initiated its bargaining tactics demanding 12 out of the 28 constituencies slowly climbed down to 10 and later settled at 08.In spite of knowing very well that the coalition partner doesn’t even have enough candidates to contest from all these eight constituencies,the state leaders preferred to keep mum following the deal clinched by none other than Rahul Gandhi,AICC president himself.But even after swallowing the embarrassment the Congress leaders had another surprise later as the JDS didn’t get suitable contestants at Bengaluru North andUdupi-Chikmagalur.So eventually both of them were returned to the Congress fold to contest.
The embarrassment to the JDS itself was no less either as the octogenarian party supremo HD Devegowda himself had to rush to the home of Krishna Byregowda,state Rural Development Minister in order to pester the latter to enter the electoral fray.It was the same case at Udupi-Chikmagalur as well and Pramod Madhwaraj,former district in charge Congress minister who lost miserably from Udupi during the May 2018 Assembly elections was chosen to fight the elections.The Bharatiya Janata Party as expected has made the contesting JDS candidates in Mandya,Tumakuru and Hassan an electoral issue pooh poohing the grandfather and grandchildren jumping into the electoral fray with scant respect to loyal cadres since decades.
There have been enough rumblings over the issue within the Janata Dal Secular party cadre itself with die hard stances of pro and against such a major decision.However Kamalkumar,who till recently was a staunch supporter of the saffron party in Hassan switching over to the JDS on the eve of elections strongly defends the decision:There could have been no better opportunity like the present one to introduce the grandchildren to public life.
HD Devegowda is aging and its but for natural to handover the political mantle to the third generation as HD Kumaraswamy himself is also ailing from heart related problems,he stresses.On the query why only grandchildren and not party workers toiling since the age of grandchildren,Kamalkumar argues like a seasoned lawyer:Of late there’s been a lot of ongoing debate in the media and public platforms about the grandchildren becoming the political heir.One should understand a ground reality here,none of the family members have ever made an back door entry into politics though there were ample opportunities had they desired so?
He also recalls the experience of HD Devegowda family in introducing ordinary workers to main stream politics and the humiliating agony of the latter ditching the family after enjoying the fruits of power…HK Jawaregowda without even spending a rupee was made a Rajya Sabha member but he preferred to desert the party later!HK Jawaregowda is not just an isolated case…There are any number of such similes who have been made MLAs’,MLCs’ and MPs’ but most of them have taken pride in ditching the family rather  than staying back during testing times and rough weather,claims Kushalkumar.For introducing anyone in politics you need heavy investment and who’ll come forward to do it for a novice,he shot back on persistent queries about the compulsion of taking shelter through family members alone.
Although the party has the word secular in its name but for all practical purposes JDS is completely dependent upon the Vokkaliga community spread over a handful of districts in the old Mysuru(South Karnataka) region for political existence!Mahesh,a fertilizers shop owner at Malavalli reserve Assembly constituency in Mandya district sums it up:All the eight Assembly constituencies of Mandya district have JDS MLAs’ apart from the sitting MP.Vokkaligas are hardcore Janata Dal Secular admirers…If you take a blood sample of any Vokkaliga and test the DNA,then you are bound to get it as JDS!At the same time he is quick enough to admit:Yes there are woes among JDS and INC workers over local problems and persons…so a possibility of 20-25 percent of INC votes going to BJP supported Independent candidate and an equal proportion of them coming to Nikhil Kumaraswamy from the opposite camp cannot be ruled out.
One thing is crystal clear:The Devegowda family is facing an acid test like never before and the jittery can be seen in open as chief minister HD Kumaraswamy has been camping in Mandya district since past three days.The plight of HD Revanna,Public Works Department Minister looks to be much worse as he hasn’t dared to move out of Hassan district but for a nominal times to Mandya and Tumakuru.
Prajwal Revanna,son of HD Revanna is the party candidate in Hassan constituency,passed on to grandson by HD Devegowda who represented it five times.So apart from the media abuzz in favor of Ms Sumalatha in Mandya and the BJP candidates of Tumakuru and Hassan,it would be foolish to right off the JDS all that easily.
Many a old hag utter:Devegowda family has all along been in politics for life time and elections to them are child’s play.May be the adverse situation is being projected as lopsided to them but they are no novice like their detractors.On the other hand they are champions in bulldozing the opponents like never before and if you take into account the amount of money,liquor and muscle power they are prepared to unleash the results could be anything much more than what’s being projected in some circles now.

The man was immediately bundled out by security personnel at the BJP office.

GVL Rao and other BJP leaders were addressing the media on the decision to name Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as the party candidate from Bhopal when the man threw the shoe, according to TV channels.

A man hurled a shoe at BJP leader GVL Rao during a media briefing at the party headquarters in national capital Delhi on Thursday.

GVL Rao and other BJP leaders were addressing the media on the decision to name Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur as the party candidate from Bhopal when the man threw the shoe, according to TV channels.

It was not immediately known what prompted the person threw the shoe. The accused identified himself as a doctor by profession, news agency PTI reported.

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He was immediately bundled out by security personnel at the BJP office. At the time of the incident, Rao was attacking the Congress for defaming Hindus by framing g “false cases” on Hindutva activists, including Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur.

The BJP has fielded Thakur as its candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat against senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh. Thakur is an accused in the Malegaon bomb blast case, which is being heard by a National Investigation Agency court.

Seven people had died in the 2007 Malegaon blast and more than 100 others were injured. The case was first probed by Maharashtra anti-terrorist squad. The NIA took over the case in 2011.

The NIA, in its chargesheet filed in 2016, gave a clean chit to Thakur arguing that the witnesses on whose testimony a case was made out against her had retracted their statements. The court, however, rejected the NIA’s plea to drop charges against Thakur.

Thakur is currently out on bail in the Malegaon blast case. She formally joined the BJP earlier this week and named candidate from Bhopal, which has been a bastion for the party. The BJP has not lost Bhopal Lok Sabha seat since 1989. Bhopal Lok Sabha seat goes to the polls on May 12 in the sixth phase of the parliamentary elections.

Agencies

Bengaluru, Apr 16 : Shivamogga, once the cradle of the socialist movement in Karnataka and now a BJP’s hunting ground, is witnessing a fierce battle between sons of two former chief ministers to gain entry to Parliament in the April 23 elections.

The Shivamogga seat, which went to bypolls in November, in which the BJP candidate B Y Raghavendra, son of former Karnataka Chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, had won with a comfortable margin, is once again
facing Madhu Bangarappa, the JD(S)-Congress alliance, candidate, also son of late S Bangarappa, also a former Chief minister.

The BJP candidate and the sitting Lok Sabha member had to sweat it out to pip the JD(S) candidate in the November-2018 bypolls, is leaving no stone unturned to woo the voters, who had sent him twice to Parliament in the past.

While the district is in the news for the outbreak of the monkey fever, a disease usually found in forest covered areas, the issues of regularisation of the unauthorised cultivation of revenue and forest land, closure of the Mysore Paper Mills, the sickness of the Visvesvaraya Steel plant also hogs the limelight in the district.

While the sitting BJP member Raghavendra is yet to come out of the shell of his father B S Yeddyurappa’s clout despite being elected as the Lok Sabha member to the Karnataka Assembly, the Congress supported JD(S) candidate Madhu Bangarappa, is also banking on the popularity of his late father and former chief minister S Bangarappa.

The JD(S)-Congress alliance candidate Madhu Bangarappa is trying to win the focus of the voters by highlighting the achievements of the JD(S)-Congress, coalition government, including that of farm loan waiver, several pro-people populist schemes introduced by the Congress government led by Siddaramaiah.

The BJP candidate Raghavendra is trying to woo the voters by pointing out his achievements, including that of sanctioning of Natinal Highways, extension of Railway networks, introduction of new trains between Bengaluru and Shivamogga.

The strong impact of the undercurrent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wave, and a well knitted Sangh Pariwar volunteers should come to the aid of the Saffron candidate, Raghavendra, the pre-poll alliance between JD(S) and the Congress is working in favour of Madhu Bangarappa.

The constituency, consisting significant number of Lingayats, Brahmins, SC and STs, beside OBCs, seems to have been divided as the supporters of both the parties, with an exception of the Muslim minorities.

While prima facie it appears, it should be a cakewalk for the BJP, as the saffron party was succeeded in getting as many as 7 Assembly seats in the 2018 Elections, while the JD(S) drew blank and the Congress one.

?However with the coming together of anti-BJP parties, the outcome would be different this time? Manjunath, a paper vendor, opined.

While as many as 12 candidates, including BSP are in the fray, the main fight is between two traditional rivals, Congress supported JD(S) and the BJP in the constituency, which goes to poll on April-23, the second phase elections in Karnataka.

A case has been registered against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan after he was caught on camera making disgusting remarks allegedly against BJP candidate Jaya Prada while holding a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Rampur constituency.

The usage of foul language during electioneering hit a new low Sunday when veteran SP leader Azam Khan made a “khaki underwear” jibe against Jaya Prada.

Without naming the actor, who is fighting as a BJP candidate from Rampur, Khan told the gathering in an election rally there “… you got represented (by her) for 10 years. (aapne das saal apna pratinidhitwa karwaya)”.

“People of Rampur, people of Uttar Pradesh and people of India, it took you 17 years to understand her reality. But, I could recognize it in 17 days that she wears a khaki underwear. (Rampur waalo, Uttar Pradesh waalo, Hindustan waalo, usski asliyat samajhne mein aapko 17 baras lag gaye. Main 17 dinon mein pehchaan gaya ki inke neeche kaa jo underwear hai, woh khaki rang kaa hai), said Khan.

The video of Khan’s purported speech was also doing the rounds on various social media platforms.

Construing Khan’s remark as having made against Jaya Prada, BJP’s state unit spokesperson Chandramohan told PTI, “It’s a very obnoxious and shameful remark.”

“The level of politics cannot fall lower than this,” said the BJP spokesperson.

This remark by Azam Khan reveals the actual face of the Samajwadi Party in which he is expressing his real thoughts about women oblivious of all dignity,” said Chandramohan.

The BJP also asked BSP supremo Mayawati to make her stand clear on “this indecent remark against Jaya Prada.”

National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma too construed Khan’s remarks as having been made against the actor and termed the same as “extremely disgraceful”. She said the women panel will be sending a show cause notice to Khan.

Meanwhile, speaking to media, Khan said that he will not the contest the Lok Sabha polls if proved guilty.

Last week Jaya Prada had alleged that she left Rampur after her “indecent images” were circulated and attempts were made to attack her with acid.

Jaya Prada had won the Rampur Lok Sabha seat in 2004 and 2009 on a Samajwadi Party ticket but later she was expelled for alleged anti-party activities in 2010. She joined the BJP last month.

Earlier in the month, a case was filed against the SP leader for allegedly making provocative remarks against four senior district officials after a complaint was filed by Congress leader Faisal Khan Lala.

Uttar Pradesh is voting for the 80 Lok Sabha seats in all seven phases.R

Amaravati, Apr 15 : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu made asensational allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is carrying money in his helicopters to distribute to the BJP leaders.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, he alleged that Mr Modi is taking money in his helicopters, taking advantage of the security cover, to distribute to the BJP leaders to win the Lok Sabha election.

He asked whether the Prime Minister would not come under Model Code of Conduct. “Mr Modi is the chowkidar only to the criminals and he ruined the country”, he alleged.

Mr Naidu questioned on why the Election Commission of India (ECI) is not ready to count 50 per cent VVPATs. He informed that the TDP is again approaching the Supreme Court seeking the counting of 50 per cent VVPAT slips.

?What is the objection to the ECI to count 50 per cent of VVPATs. When the Supreme Court asked, the ECI filed a false affidavit stating that it will take six days to count 50 per cent VVPATs, he said and made it clear that the TDP once again will approach the Apex court in this regard.

?When we pointed out the mistakes of the ECI, we are being blamed that we are politicizing the issue?, Mr Naidu lamented. He explained that out of the 190 democratic nations, only 18 countries are using EVMs.

He reminded that BJP Spokesperson and MP G V L Narasimha Rao wrote a book Democratic at Risk, opposing the use of EVMs, but now he is backing the EVMs.

The Chief Minister said that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy filed a case in the court in this regard but is he not talking against EVMs now.

He said that there are ways to hack and upload EVMs and also control the EVM’s control units from somewhere else. There is also a scope to change memory of micro controls of EVMs and replace memory chip and soft password, he claimed.

Referring to themalfunction of EVMs in the recently concluded general election in the state, the Chief Minister said that after receiving his call, lakhs of voters who went home unable to stand in queue lines for a long time, returned to the polling stations to cast their votes and the voting had continued till 3 am on April 12, he claimed.

He deplored that after the technical snags of EVMs were rectified, violence incidents took place at some polling stations in the state.

Mr.Naidu said that the opposition parties are going to prepare an action plan to launch a peoples’ agitation against the attitude of ECI.

He claimed that there in an undercurrent in favour of the TDP and predicted that the party would win about 150 Assembly seats.

MYSURU: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil, who is contesting from Mandya against Sumalatha Ambareesh, on Thursday discounted the influence of star-power on elections and said that only a purely development-driven agenda would decide who gets elected. 

The fight for Mandya is shaping up to become one of the hottest fights this election with Sumalatha roping in film stars like Yash and Darshan to campaign for her. However, Nikhil, an actor himself, has chosen to give film stars a miss. Speaking to The media, Nikhil said he was banking on the family’s long connect with Mandya and the promise of development if he is elected.

“People gathering to see film stars will not translate into votes. Sumalatha has not deterred me. Karnataka has not had cinema stars becoming successful politicians, while Rajkumar had the qualities, he was not interested. The furore created by film stars campaigning for Sumalatha is created by the media as they have never been in favour of JD(S),” he said.

Nikhil also lashed out at the BJP and accused them of resorting to tactics like income-tax raids to derail his campaign. On comments made about Sumalatha by his own party members, he said that he did not support them. “I am against personal attacks against anyone including Sumalatha. I want polls to be held in a dignified manner,” he said. 

Nikhil said that he was aware of a feeling of anti-incumbency against some JD(S) legislators, leading him to bypass them and approach the people directly. On Congress leaders supporting Sumalatha, Nikhil said that loyal Congressmen were not part of this group. 

In all the drama surrounding the fight for Mandya, Nikhil said he was hurt by the rift between him and Abhishek Ambareesh. The duo, once friends, have been having some difficulty marred by personal attacks, which Nikhil feels could be permanent.

Income tax sleuths raided the residence of Congress leader M S Atmananda in Mandya on Wednesday. The officials questioned the Congress leader and his family members about the source of their income. Sources said Rs 10 lakh cash and documents were seized. Atmananda has been given the responsibility to work on Nikhil’s campaign. So, as news about the raid spread, Atmananda’s supporters protested outside his house condemning the raid. Meanwhile, IT officials also carried out a search at a private hotel were JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy was staying. The officers visited the hotel and also searched other rooms were his supporters were staying.  The team of 25 officers conducted the raid. Sources said that the authorities went empty hand as Nikhil was campaigning in Pandavapura taluk.

Agencies

Lucknow, Apr 5 : Congress president Rahul Gandhi is likely to file his nomination papers from Amethi Lok Sabha seat on April 10, the first day of the filing of papers in the fourth phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh, party sources said here on Friday.
The UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi is also expected to file her nominations from Rae Bareli on the next day , on April 11.
UPCC (UP East) Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be present with them while they file their nominations.
According to the party sources, after filing of nominations in Amethi, Congress president would hold a road show and a joint rally along with his sister Ms Vadra.
On the next day, the Congress president and UPCC (UP East) will join the UPA Chairperson in filing her nomination papers and then will attend a joint rally at GIC ground in Rae Bareli.
Rahul Gandhi, who is also contesting from Wayanad seat in Kerala, is pitted against Union Textile Minister Smriti Irani.
In 2014 polls Mr Gandhi defeated Ms Irani by over one lakh vote.
However in Rae Bareli, BJP has fielded an old Congressman Dinesh Pratap Singh against Sonia Gandhi making the contest interesting.
In 2014 polls, Ms Gandhi had defeated BJP candidate Ajay Agarwal by over four lakh votes.
The polling in both Amethi and Rae Bareli seats would be held in the fifth phase on May 6. The nominations in this phase would commence from April 10.

Bengaluru, Apr 5 : Two construction workers were killed and eight injured, when a building under construction was collapsed in the wee hours at the APMC yard in Yeshvanthpur locality
in Bengaluru, on Friday.
According to official sources, the deceased were identified as Rakesh and Rahul, both were hailed from Bihar, and the injured were admitted to the Victory Hospital, in the city.
The incident occurred at about 0430 hours on Friday and about 30 to 40 persons were residing in the collapsed building, an eye-witness said.
The rescue operations were on and the disaster recovery personnel were pressed into action to save the trapped persons below the debris of the collapsed concrete structure, the sources added.
The police also reportedly arrested the contractor and the building engineer into the incident.
It may be recalled that about 15 persons were killed and many others injured in a similar incident in Dharwad recently.