Amit Shah’s DK, Udupi tour in Feb; meeting religious leaders top on agenda

Bengaluru, Mar 29: Seven new COVID-19 cases have been confirmed in Karnataka since Saturday 5 pm to 2 pm on Sunday.

The total number of positive cases in the state stands at 83, out of which five have been cured/discharged and three have lost their lives, according to the Karnataka Health Department.

A total of 979 confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in India, informed the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Sunday.

Bengaluru, Feb 27: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa has again kindled hope for several ministerial aspirants by suggesting he will expand his council of ministers in April. A dozen senior BJP legislators are aspiring for ministerial berths, but there are only six vacancies in Yediyurappa’s cabinet.

However, Yediyurappa suggested on Tuesday he will fill only three spots, one of which would go to Hukkeri legislator Umesh Katti. With this, lobbying has intensified for the two remaining berths as the expansion exercise is expected soon after the budget session that ends on March 29.

The aspirants include Murugesh Nirani, S Angara, Appachhu Ranjan, SA Ramdas, Aravind Limbavali, Narasimha Nayak and GH Thippareddy besides others.

Yediyurappa, it is being said, is keen on inducting Katti and Limbavali since they are close to him. He will leave the decision on choosing legislators for the remaining two berths to the party’s central leadership.

On more than one occasion in the past, Yediyurappa has publicly stated that his wish is to induct Katti, a former minister, into the cabinet. In fact, the CM had wanted to induct Katti in the previous expansion that took place last month, but dropped the idea at the last minute due to pressure from party bosses.

The CM is also under pressure to induct Athani legislator Mahesh Kumatalli, who was among 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs who resigned to help the saffron party form the government. Several BJP MLAs and Lingayat seers have been piling pressure on Yediyurappa to make Kumatalli a minister as promised.

Kumatalli was denied a cabinet berth only to accommodate Katti. Both are Lingayats and from Belagavi district. As the Lingayat community already has a lion’s share in cabinet berths, the CM cannot afford to induct both.

Nirani, who has been leaving no stone unturned to secure a spot, reiterated his wish to become minister, but insisted he will not lobby for the post.

Yediyurappa has been upset with Nirani for lobbying for a berth through Panchamasali Mutt seer Vachananand Swami. The former minister was also part of the team of alleged disgruntled MLAs which met Jagadish Shettar at his residence to put pressure on the CM for cabinet berths.

However, while expressing confidence of being made minister when Yediyurappa’s expands his cabinet next, Nirani said, “Yediyurappa is not upset with me. My relationship with him is that of father and son. He knows me and what I am.”

Mangaluru, Mar 23: The magisterial enquiry into the police firing during the anti-CAA protest on December 19 in Mangaluru, has been postponed following the lockdown of Dakshina Kannada district, Udupi DC G Jagadeesh announced on Monday.

The inquiry by Udupi DC G Jagadeesh was scheduled on Monday. Already, City Police Commissioner Dr P S Harsha and others have deposed before the magistrate. The Deputy Commissioner and the Assistant Commissioner were supposed to appear before the magistrate.

Following the December 19 violence and the death of  Nausheen and Jaleel due to alleged police firing, the state government had commissioned two probes-- one magisterial and the other, a CID inquiry.

 As per the government order, a report on the inquiry was to be submitted before March 23. On the request by the magistrate for more time since the documents and videos had to be examined, the government had asked him to submit the report by April 23.