The report of the Karnataka minorities commission on the alleged Rs 2 lakh crore Wakf property scam generated considerable heat in the Legislative assembly, where an agitated opposition demanded a thorough enquiry and punishment to those found guilty.
After the party high command ask him to resign immediately on Thursday, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is fast running out of options, and at the moment, is holed up in his residence in Bengaluru, where he is mustering the support of his members of legislative assembly. Vicky Nanjappa reports.
Congress partly vehemently opposed the bill, calling it "anti people", "inhuman", "anti constitutional", "anti poor" and "draconian", and urged that it should not be passed for any reason and should be withdrawn by the government.
Nearly 2,000 Congress workers participated in the 'Bellary chalo' rally on Sunday from the press club at Bengaluru to demand a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation into the illegal mining scam that has rocked the Karnataka legislative assembly for over a week.The 15-day rally will end at Bellary where a massive public gathering will be held. The Congress members plan to cover 20 kms everyday on foot across the state.
"There is no threat to the government. On February 8, I am going to present the budget. Nothing to worry about," he told reporters after Governor H R Bhardwaj's address to the joint state legislature session in Bengaluru.
'Mr Ballot Box' occupied the front row seat in the aircraft escorted under the watchful gaze of the Assistant Returning Officers of their respective states.
The average asset of the 92 re-elected members of Legislative Assembly in Karnataka is estimated at Rs 30.15 crore, according to the Association for Democratic Reforms and Karnataka Election Watch analysis.
Sources say that 8-10 Members of the Legislative Assembly from the party are set to quit, thus reducing the BS Yeddyurappa-led government to a minority.
He said, the fresh budget of the new Congress government, which he will be presenting on July 7, is likely to be of the size Rs 3,35,000 crore.
The Congress has been hit by rebellion and a three way split in Karnataka.
Asserting that his government still enjoyed a majority even after 13 Bharatiya Janata Party Members of Legislative Assembly announced their resignations, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Sunday said he was ready to face a No-Confidence Motion moved by the opposition. "I have majority. There is no threat to the government. I am ready to face a No-Confidence Motion if the opposition moves it," he told reporters.
The bill was passed in the assembly in December last year but was pending before the council where the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party is one short of a majority.
Upset over the "delay" in the expansion of the Karnataka Cabinet, a section of ruling Bharatiya Janata Party legislators on Wednesday threatened to take the issue to the party's central leadership if the exercise was not completed by Saturday. Members of Legislative Assembly C T Ravi and M P Appachu Ranjan held a press conference, expressing their anger over the "delay".
B S Yeddyurappa is on his way out, sources told rediff.com on Sunday, adding that the top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to remove the Karnataka chief minister from his post. The BJP high command, after much deliberation, has decided to drop Yeddyurappa as chief minister after serious accusations of an alleged land scam were made against him by the Opposition.
H D Deve Gowda may have created an impact of sorts when he made the speech in Parliament, which was debating whether to dissolve the Karnataka Legislative Assembly or not.
Lingayats are said to constitute about 17 per cent of Karnataka's population, and the community has dominance in as many as 100 out of total 224 constituencies, majority of these seats being in north Karnataka region.
He also expressed confidence about getting justice in the Supreme Court, as Karnataka's stand on the issue is both legal and constitutional.
The second phase election to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly began today at 7am amid tight security against the backdrop of Naxalites killing a school head master and a lecturer in the Naxal-infected Udupi district on Thursday night. Naxals, who were active in Shimoga, Udupi and Chikamagalur Districts, had pasted posters and distributed pamphlets a couple of days back calling for boycott of elections.
He said the state unit only sends the recommendation but does not take sides as to who should be given the ticket.
Bowing to the directives of the party central leadership, three Bharatiya Janata Party ministers in Karnataka on Wednesday resigned after they were engulfed in a row over watching sleazy clippings during the Assembly proceedings.
Suresh Kumar said he was withdrawing his nomination following a direction from the BJP leadership.
'The Muslims in Karnataka are safe and secure. The state government belongs to everybody.'
Mudigere's Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, M P Kumaraswamy, on Thursday announced his resignation from the party, after he was denied ticket to contest the Karnataka assembly polls, and blamed national General Secretary C T Ravi for not getting nominated.
Amid speculation that he has been asked to come to the national capital by the high command, he said: "I have not received any call yet. Let's see."
The Karnataka legislative assembly on Monday passed a unanimous resolution condemning the recent defacing of Shivaji Maharaj and Sangolli Rayanna's statues and burning of Kannada flag, and said such incidents will be considered as an act of sedition and strict action will be taken against those involved under 'Goonda Act.'
The Congress had released 'Farmers Declaration', 'SC, ST Declaration' and 'Youth Declaration', comprising its promises to the Telangana voters in the assembly polls scheduled to be held in a couple of months.
Reddy faced the biggest challenge of his political life in 2015 when he was allegedly caught on camera trying to bribe a nominated MLA to vote in favour of the TDP in a legislative council election.
The future course of Karnataka politics may be decided on Monday by a three-judge bench of the high court comprising Justices Abdul Nasir, Mohan Shanthan Goudar and A S Bopanna. The bench will deliver a verdict on the validity of the suspension of five independent Members of Legislative Assembly by Speaker K G Bopaiah.
A Rs 20 crore deal was struck to secure bail for former Karnataka minister Gali Janardhan Reddy, who was arrested in connection with the iron ore mining scam, according to state Member of Legislative Assembly Suresh Babu. The revelations come in the wake of Babu's arrest by the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Monday.
"The education minister will give reply to the issue raised by Khader, but I want to assure that the government is committed to implement the court order," Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister J C Madhuswamy said on behalf of the government.
B Y Vijayendra said power and position itself are not the ultimate objectives in politics.
"You are made to read lies, so please don't read it," BJP members said.
The Congress has convened a CLP meeting on Friday ahead of budget presentation and warned its MLAs that absence would invite action under the Anti-Defection Law.
Top state leaders--Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Congress' Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar and Janata Dal-Secular leader HD Kumaraswamy are contesting from different seats.
Shankar went to Karnataka Legislative Council chairman Basavaraj Horatti's office and tendered his hand-written resignation.
Kumaraswamy alleged that 25,000 pen drives were distributed in the entire state, and cited a report in a regional daily to support his claim.
The MLAs -- Ramesh Jarkiholi, Mahesh Kumtalli, Umesh Jadhav, and Nagendra -- did not ascribe any reason for not attending the opening day's session.
In its exit poll released after the voting on May 10, India Today-Axis My India predicted a clear majority for the Congress with 122-140 seats and gave the BJP 62-80 seats. It gave 20-25 seats to the JD-S.
Speaking to reporters before leaving for Bengaluru, Bommai said he held a meeting with Nadda on Wednesday on the matter.
The Kamareddy constituency attracted attention ever since KCR announced his decision to contest from there and the contest hot up as Congress fielded Revanth Reddy to take him on.
