Siddaramaiah's anti-urban bias, which he does not bother to hide, may become the Congress government's biggest weakness unless it is corrected.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced reservation for Muslims in supplying goods and services up to a value of Rs 1 crore to various government departments, corporations and institutions in the state budget for 2025-26. The budget also increased the value limit of government contracts in which Muslims can avail reservation to Rs 2 crore. The reservation to Muslims under 2B category is in addition to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, and Castes coming under Category-1, Category-2A. The budget also included various welfare schemes for minorities, including Rs 50,000 to support simple marriages and Rs 1,000 crore under the Chief Minister's Minority Colony Development Programme.
The initial chaos that later turned into a stampede began as several cricket enthusiasts who did not have entry tickets to the stadium tried to swarm into the premises along with those who had valid tickets, sources in the police said.
'Mr Modi has the power and pre-eminence in the BJP-RSS to choose how long he wants to serve, and he is definitely going to want to contest in 2029.' 'He will only be 79, as old as Donald Trump now, and fitter,' observes Shekhar Gupta.
The Karnataka high court on Monday did not grant interim relief to Nikhil Sosale, head of marketing, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), who was arrested on June 6 in connection with the fatal stampede near M Chinnaswamy Stadium, and adjourned the matter for hearing on Tuesday.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee will not be attending the swearing-in ceremony of Congress leader Siddaramaiah as the Karnataka CM and has designated party leader Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar for the programme, a Trinamool Congress leader said.
Opposition to the Karnataka government's proposed implementation of a caste census has intensified with dominant communities raising concerns about the survey's findings. The report, which has not been publicly released, is said to contradict traditional perceptions regarding the numerical strength of various castes, particularly Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas. These communities, along with political parties, including sections of the ruling Congress, have criticized the survey as "unscientific" and demanded a fresh assessment. The Vokkaligara Sangha and the All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha have expressed strong opposition, alleging that the report misrepresents their populations and demanding a fresh survey. Meanwhile, Dalit and OBC groups have defended the survey and its recommendations, including an increase in reservation for OBCs to 51%. The controversy has fueled political tensions in Karnataka, with opposition parties accusing the Congress government of using the caste census for political gain.
The state government has planned a formal felicitation ceremony at the iconic steps of the Vidhana Soudha.
A businessman from Shivamogga district in Karnataka was shot dead by terrorists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, his family said. Manjunath Rao (47) was with his wife and son when terrorists opened fire on tourists in a meadow near Pahalgam. The attack left several tourists dead and at least 20 injured. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah condemned the attack and expressed condolences to the family, assuring them of all support.
The Karnataka High Court has quashed the Enforcement Directorate's summons to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife Parvathi B M and Urban Development Minister B S Suresh in connection with the MUDA site allotment case. The court ruled that the ED was conducting a parallel investigation despite the case already being probed by the Lokayukta police and a Special Investigation Team (SIT). The ED had alleged that Siddaramaiah and other accused were involved in attempted money laundering in the MUDA site allotment case and that the fourteen sites (plots) allotted to Parvathi in Mysuru upmarket were illegally allotted.
Who authorised the Royal Challengers Bengaluru victory celebration event? When and how the decision was made? Whether the organisers had obtained the necessary permissions? were among the questions for which the Karnataka government will have to file its replies to the high court by June 10, in connection with the June 4 stampede that killed 11 people.
An expert committee in Karnataka has concluded that there is no association between premature cardiovascular disease and a prior history of Covid-19 infection or Covid vaccination. The report suggests that common risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and smoking are more likely causes.
'I didn't expect such a crowd and support in the first season.'
India's star batter Smriti Mandhana expressed her grief at the death of 11 people in a stampede on Wednesday near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Investigation into the murder of a 32 year-old man in Bantwal taluk of Dakshina Kannada district has intensified with police detaining three suspects, official sources said on Wednesday.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday searched locations in Karnataka, including educational institutions linked to state Home Minister G Parameshwara, as part of a probe into alleged gold smuggling-linked money laundering case against Kannada actor Ranya Rao and others. The ED sources said an educational trust is suspected to have "diverted" funds and made a payment of Rs 40 lakh towards the credit card bill of Rao, allegedly on the instructions of an influential individual. The sources claimed the trust is linked to Parameshwara and the "influential" individual is a politically exposed person. The searches found there were no supporting vouchers or documentation to "substantiate" this payment (for credit card bill payment), they said.
'Absolutely gutted,' he posted on Instagram.
Kharge will take care of IT & BT along with existing portfolio, while Large & Medium Industries Minister M B Patil has been given the additional charge of Infrastructure Development.
A special cabinet meeting in Karnataka convened to discuss the contentious Social and Educational Survey report, popularly known as 'caste census', ended without a decision. The cabinet will reconvene on May 2 to discuss the report further and make a final decision.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday met Congress parliamentary party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former party chief Rahul Gandhi at their residence in New Delhi.
Cooperation Minister K N Rajanna had on Saturday floated the idea of having three more DCMs in Karnataka and said he would discuss it with the Congress high command, keeping in mind the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
'Virat and the players likely found out much later, by which point they had no say in what was happening.'
It's all for you -- the fans: Kohli, Patidar dedicate RCB's triumph to faithfuls
The special court exclusively to deal with criminal cases related to elected former and sitting MPs/MLAs has taken cognisance of the offences under Sections 499 (defamation) and 500 (punishment for defamation) of the Indian Penal Code and posted the case for recording the sworn statement on July 27.
According to ESPNCricinfo, the resignation has been submitted to the president of the Board, Raghuram Bhat.
As per the Chief Minister's official schedule, Siddaramaiah will be leaving for Delhi by a special flight at 6:30 pm, and will halt in the national capital tonight.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said tenants are also eligible to avail the 'Gruha Jyoti' scheme, under which 200 units of free power will be provided to all domestic consumers in the state from July 1.
Tensions ran high in Gubbi taluk on Saturday as the farmers' protest against the Hemavati Link Canal project escalated into violence, prompting police to register FIRs. It is said that more FIRs are likely to follow.
Several stalled developmental projects and those waiting Centre's clearances are likely to come up for discussion at the meeting, during which the chief minister is likely to urge the Union ministers and MPs from the state to use their good offices for intervention of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Government of India on the Cauvery issue.
He also charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi with being silent on price rise, unemployment and corruption in the state during his series of public meetings while campaigning for the elections taking place today.
The Karnataka high court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to key office bearers of the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) in connection with the June 4 stampede outside Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium, which left 11 people dead and 56 others injured.
Vast experience in running the government and mass appeal across the state have favoured Siddaramaiah in the tightly contested race for Karnataka chief minister.
According to sources in the Congress, eight legislators are likely to be sworn in as ministers along with them.
The Minister for Housing, Waqf, and Minority Affairs in the Siddaramaiah-led government claimed that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were to give him a suicide bomb, he would tie it to himself and go to Pakistan to fight.
'Siddaramaiah was openly taking on the BJP's communal agenda, which very few non-BJP politicians do.'
A renewed energy seems to have been infused into the 75-year old Congress leader Siddaramaiah's gait as he walked to address a packed press conference in Mysore on Saturday.
Ending days of suspense, the Congress on Thursday announced Siddaramaiah as the next chief minister of Karnataka and D K Shivakumar as his only deputy in the soon-to-formed cabinet.
On Thursday night, a landslide struck a home at Montepadavu Kodi near Mangaluru, trapping five people under debris, they said.
The clarification came in the wake of speculation within a section of the ruling Congress about a change in leadership after two-and-half years of this government's tenure.
Congress leaders and workers from Kolar have been exerting pressure on the Congress legislature party leader to contest from there.
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