CM reviews law and order situation as anti-CAA protests spread across Karnataka

Bengalur, May 15: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dr CN Ashwath Narayan on Friday said that stern action will be taken against the persons responsible for organising the village temple fair in Ramanagara district.

"Stern action will be taken against the person responsible for organising the festival. This should not have happened," the Deputy CM said.

Flouting all social distancing norms, people had gathered in large numbers for a temple fair in Kolagondanahalli village of Ramanagara. People were even not wearing masks.

They had taken permission for gathering from Panchayat Development Officer NC Kalmatt.

Kalmatt has been suspended by Ramanagara Deputy Commissioner following a report by the Tehsildar.

Meanwhile, 45 more COVID-19 cases have been reported from Karnataka, taking the total number of coronavirus cases in the state to 1,032 on Friday, according to the state Health Department.

Shivamogga, Jan 11: Members of Karnataka Congress women's wing staged a protest in Shivamogga on Friday against the rise in onion prices and domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders.

As a mark of protest, the demonstrators wore garlands made of onions, drew rangoli on the road and cooked food with firewood. The protestors also carried posters comparing the price of cylinders in Congress and BJP-led government in the Centre.

The price of non-subsidised LPG was hiked by Rs 19 per cylinder from January 1, 2020.

Bengaluru, Feb 18: Deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi was elected to the legislative council on Monday and although it was a done deal that he would win, a vote from across the aisle spiced up the election.

Counting was conducted soon after ballots were cast and Savadi polled 113 of the 120 votes cast, including the vote of disgruntled JD(S) legislator GT Devegowda. Seven votes were declared invalid. Members of the two opposition parties — Congress and JD(S) — abstained from voting.

The election was necessitated following the resignation of Rizwan Arshad of the Congress. Rizwan resigned after he was elected to the legislative assembly from the Shivajinagar constituency in the assembly bypolls held for 15 seats in December last year.

BR Anil Kumar, who was initially promised the support of both Congress and JD(S) was supposed to contest as an independent candidate. However, as both parties refused to support him at the last minute, he withdrew, paving the way for Savadi’s victory.

The BJP has 117 members in the 225-member assembly, but N Mahesh of the BSP and two independents, H Nagesh and Sharath Bachchegowda, besides GT Devegowda also voted, taking the total electorate to 120 (including the speaker). BJP’s SA Ramadas did not turn up because of health reasons.

“I would like to thank all those who were responsible for my victory. Special thanks to leaders of my party and chief minister BS Yediyurappa, who gave me the opportunity to be the BJP candidate,” said Savadi.

Winning this council election was crucial for Savadi to retain his ministry as he was not an elected member of either of the houses. Rules mandate that a non-member must get elected either to the assembly or council within six months after taking over as minister. February 20 was the deadline for Savadi, who had lost 2018 assembly polls from Athani, to get elected.

Officials in the assembly secretariat said seven votes were invalid because voters had wrongly marked their choices on ballot paper. According to norms, a voter has to mark numerical one, two and three against the names of the candidates in order of preference. Marking only numerical one is allowed. However, six ballots had a tick mark, while a voter had registered a cross mark. Since it was a secret ballot, it was not known who the MLAs were whose votes were invalid.

“The ballot papers bear serial numbers and they are randomly distributed. It is virtually impossible to say who a voter cast his or her vote for,” said assembly secretary MK Vishalakashi, the retuning officer for the bypoll.