Karnataka: Highest sex ratio among Christians; Muslims overtake Hindus in literacy

Bengaluru, Feb 10: After many twists and turns, veteran Congress leader Mallikarjuna Kharge is emerging as the frontrunner for the KPCC president’s post, party sources revealed.

Though the names of DK Shivakumar and MB Patil did the rounds sometime ago, the party high command could not decide on an apt candidate, and had to widen its horizon looking for a leader who can take all factions along, and they seem to have zeroed in on Kharge.

But the senior Dalit leader is also in the reckoning for the more important All-India Congress Committee president’s post after he successfully stitched up an alliance, despite all odds, between the Congress and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra. He is understandably reluctant to take up the KPCC post. “The central leadership has given him some time to consider the KPCC offer,” the sources said.

The high command would rather go with Kharge as he is politically a far bigger force than Shivakumar and M B Patil and the party central leadership wants a safe pair of hands to handle the affairs of the state, the sources said. Also, senior leaders Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar and M B Patil cannot raise a voice against Kharge if he is elected to the post, they said.

Kharge was the Pradesh Congress chief in 2008 when the BJP was in power under B S Yediyurappa. An old warhorse, Kharge is seen as an able administrator and taskmaster. He had won a record 11 elections on the trot before he was defeated in the Kalaburgi Parliamentary Constituency by his former protege Dr Umesh Jadhav in the last election.

Sources said that the high command will not consider Shivakumar for the top slot till he comes out clean in all the legal cases against him.

It is exactly two months since Dinesh Gundurao resigned as KPCC president after the party managed to win just two out of the 15 Assembly constituencies that went for by-elections. Siddarmaiah too resigned on the same day owning moral responsibility for the loss, but the party has decided to continue with him as the assembly opposition leader, while looking for a replacement for Gundurao. 

The high command sent senior central leaders  Madhusudhan Mistry and Bhakta Charan Das on December 20 to sort out the issue of KPCC president. Though they met the state leaders and held high-level meetings in Delhi, they could not decide on a candidate. Meanwhile, the central leadership has asked Gundurao to continue in the post, till a replacement is found.

‘Congress will protest against scrapping reservation’

Bengaluru: “RSS-BJP is against reservation and have been trying to scrap it for sometime now,’’ said senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday. He stated that the Congress would take up the issue for a determined agitation both inside and outside the parliament. He said they must file a petition against this. His reaction comes after the SC recently took a decision where the top court had maintained that reservation in promotions was not a fundamental right.

Bengaluru, Jun 28: Former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah asked the Karnataka government to release White Paper over the state of healthcare system and the government's preparedness to address COVID-19 pandemic.

He said that the State Government to come clean on the charges of misappropriation of large sums of funds in the name of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic in the state.

"People are extremely worried about the state of our healthcare system and the government's preparedness to address pandemic. It is the responsibility of Karnataka Chief Minister to clear the doubts and reduce the panic among people. I urge the government to #ReleaseWhitePaper about the same," the Congress leader tweeted.

Siddaramaiah said that the Chief Minister should let people know about the amount of money already spent to improve healthcare facilities, the number of beds and ventilators increased and about the supply of PPE kits to COVID-19 warriors.

"Karnataka Chief Minister should also reveal the contribution of PMO India to our state. Has Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa demanded anything from Narendra Modi? How much of PM CARES Fund is spent for Karnataka's healthcare?" he asked in another tweet.

He went on to say that PMO India and Chief Minister of Karnataka "wasted crucial time during lockdown."

"The purpose of lockdown was to fill the gaps in health care system. But they just widened it by frequently changing the protocols and by not doing adequate tests," he said.

"Karnataka Chief Minister and other departments have failed to answer my multiple queries regarding the actions taken. As a leader of opposition, it is my right to question the government on behalf of people. Deliberate act of denying information is a breach of privilege. Government hospitals have reached its capacity and private hospitals are not ready to treat patients at capped prices," he wrote.

Siddaramaiah said that the Karnataka Chief Minister should either convince private players or take action against them, and added, "Not doing both is like pushing people off the cliff."

He tweeted, "The testing rates per day have come down in last 15 days even when the cases are rising. What is stopping the government from increasing the testing? The government is putting people at risk by not testing adequately."

Further attacking the state government, he wrote, "Our state needs 9000 ventilators, but we have only 1500, PMO India has sent 90 to us. Is this a joke to Karnataka Chief Minister and PMO India? #ReleaseWhitePaper about the ways that they plan to increase ventilators."

Mangaluru, June 27: The district health authorities are likely to conduct mass random testing for Covid-19 in Ullal town on the outskirts of the city in the wake of detection of several new coronavirus positive cases there in past couple few days.  

An elderly woman from Azad Nagar in Ullal was died of coronavirus earlier this week. Many others including a couple of policemen also tested positive for the deadly virus in vicinity.

Following this, local elected representatives including MLA U T Khader and religious leaders of Ullal held a meeting regarding taking steps to control the spread of the virus. In the meeting Mr Khader suggested the authorities to conduct random testing in Ullal town. 

Apart from Azad Nagar, covid-19 cases have surfaced in Kodi, Bangera Lane and in the surroundings of police station and Sahara Hospital triggering panic among people. Hence, the authorities are like to conduct random testing of auto rickshaw drivers, fishermen, street vendors among others. 

Meanwhile, several mosques in Ullal have reportedly decided to suspend congregational prayers temporarily.