The Congress unit described Ramesh's suicide an outcome of "targeted harassment" of their rank and cadre to keep them away from the party.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, IT industry veteran N R Narayana Murthy along with wife Sudha Murty, and Mysuru royal family member 'Rajamate' Pramoda Devi Wadiyar, were among the early voters who cast their ballot in the Karnataka Assembly polls.
Both the eight-time MLA Shivakumar and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah have made no secret of their ambition to become CM and had been involved in a game of political one upmanship in the past.
Party sources said United Progressive Allinace chairperson Sonia Gandhi is likely to reach Delhi on Wednesday from Himachal Pradesh and is expected to meet some leaders who are part of the decision-making process in Karnataka.
In coordinated raids, more than 300 Income Tax sleuths swooped down on premises linked to two prominent Congress leaders in Karnataka -- the former deputy chief minister and former MP R L Jalappa's son J Rajendra.
According to sources in the Congress, eight legislators are likely to be sworn in as ministers along with them.
The Karnataka legislative assembly on Wednesday witnessed chaotic and unruly scenes as angry Bharatiya Jansata Party legislators tore copies of bills and the agenda, and threw them at the deputy speaker, who was presiding, following which Speaker U T Khader suspended 10 of them for the remainder of the session.
While Shivakumar is as usual contesting from Kanakapura, Siddaramaiah is returning to his home turf of Varuna in Mysuru district, which is currently represented by his son Dr Yathindra Siddaramaiah.
For the May 10 assembly elections in Karnataka, the following are the 20 seats to watch out for.
Karnataka Congress leaders Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar on Tuesday met party president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence in New Delhi separately and discussed the modalities of government formation in the southern state.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday released its first list of 189 candidates for the May 10 Karnataka assembly polls, fielding Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai from his traditional Shiggaon constituency.
The Congress Legislature Party, which met at a private hotel in Bengaluru on Sunday evening, passed a unanimous resolution authorising the party chief to pick its leader.
He called on all sections of the society, especially SC/ST and other weaker sections to unite for safeguarding the Constitution and democracy.
Parameshwara also said he was extremely pained that his statement on the alleged molestation incident had been interpreted out of context and not taken in its entirety.
'It's our duty to arrange food and other things for them. Some of them have diabetes and BP, that's why we arranged everything here'
Siddaramaiah asserted that the Karnataka government was a 'strong' one and ridiculed state BJP president B S Yeddyurappa for repeatedly claiming that the coalition will collapse.
Nilekani has been maintaining silence on reports about his political plans, which has gained more currency after the KPCC reportedly shortlisted his name among the three probable candidates for Bangalore south recently.
Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Brinda Karat on Wednesday attacked Karnataka minister G Parameshwara over his objectionable remarks after women were molested en masse in Bengaluru, saying he has no right to continue in office after the "reprehensible" statement.
I am not a fool to say that everything is well, said Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on a clean chit to the rights advocacy group.
Amid fanfare, hundreds of candidates, including key politicians B S Yeddyurappa, G Parameshwara and Siddaramaiah, entered the fray on Monday for the May five assembly elections as a festive atmosphere prevailed in many segments.
"No one questioned the Congress government's failure. Instead, they are asking why is Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi silent and not speaking on Gauri Lankesh's death. Many wanted PM Modi to react after Gauri Lankesh's death. Why should Modi react if some dog dies in Karnataka?"
All senior leaders will be along with Rahul Gandhi during these programmes and this will be the 'first leg' of the campaign by the Congress president.
With Karnataka Congress chief G Parameshwara's defeat Siddaramaiah, currently the leader of Opposition in the assembly, is Congress's favourite for the top job. Vicky Nanjappa reports
The state BJP, meanwhile, has urged the government to drop its decision to celebrate Tipu Jayanti and not to stand on 'prestige' or 'ego'.
He, however, reiterated his allegation that the BJP was trying to lure MLAs of the ruling combine.
Suresh Kumar said he was withdrawing his nomination following a direction from the BJP leadership.
Portfolio sharing had turned out to be a thorny issue between the Congress and JD-S and was thrashed out after much haggling, with both parties announcing an agreement on June one.
"Partying late night in half attire, blindly following western culture, has never been our culture," he said.
The coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada have been reporting cases of cow vigilantism in the last several years.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that offenders should be punished to the full extent of law regardless of who they are.
'Why she was killed? Because she believed in a certain ideology, she wrote and spoke on that'
The case relates to protests near the I-T office in Bengaluru by the leaders including the then chief minister H D Kumaraswamy against the income tax raids at the residence of Congress and JD-S leaders.
The Congress MP said that national security in our country is not going to get compromised by few people shouting slogans.
Kumaraswamy said he would remain the CM until he enjoyed the 'confidence' of the Congress MLAs and till the time God has written it in his fate.
Siddaramaiah seems overwhelmed by problems coming at him from every direction, reports Aditi Phadnis.
Sources said while the Janata Dal-Secular will have nine new ministers, the Congress will have nearly 12 of its legislators inducted into the cabinet. Lone Bahujan Samaj Party MLA N Mahesh will also be a part of the cabinet expansion and will be given a key portfolio.
The Congress has conceded the plum Finance portfolio to its junior partner, resolving a thorny issue, after its president Rahul Gandhi intervened and spoke to Kumaraswamy.
Kumaraswamy met representatives of farmers groups and progressive peasants to discuss the problems faced by them.
The driver and cleaner of the bus have been arrested for the sexual assault, which took place on Thursday.
The claim by Naik, the district minister in charge, to party workers in Hadagali assembly constituency, has added more embarrassment as it comes only a few days after he rejected any role in the transfer as 'far from the truth'.
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