Krishna's move a big jolt to Cong as polls near; high command concerned

[email protected] (CD Network)
January 29, 2017

Bengaluru, Jan 29: With Assembly elections in Karnataka just a year away, former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna's decision to quit active politics has come as yet another jolt.krishna2

The decision of Mr Krishna, who served as Chief Minister of Karnataka (1999-2004), Governor of Maharashtra (2004-08), and External Affairs Minister, to stay away from the activities of Congress has taken the party's image to a new low at a time when another senior leader, V. Srinivas Prasad, quit the Congress and joined the BJP recently.

Surprised by the 85-year-old leader's move, the Congress high command has swung into action and directed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Karnataka unit chief G Parameshwara to get in touch with him.

“I have asked the chief minister and the state Congress president to get in touch with Krishna,” Digvijaya Singh, Congress general secretary in charge of the party's affairs in Karnataka, said.

Singh said he had unsuccessfully tried to reach out to Krishna and maintained that he got the news through the media. In response to a query, however, he said he didn't know if Krishna had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi recently. Another Congress leader in Delhi said, “It's unfortunate. We are totally surprised by the announcement.”

Powerful leader

Though Krishna has maintained a distance from the functioning of the present government and has often expressed dissatisfaction over the “old guard” being sidelined, his image as a Congress Chief Minister, who nurtured Karnataka as anIT hub' and its capital asBrand Bengaluru' has not waned. He continues to wield considerable clout in the Old Mysore belt.

Mr. Krishna is learnt to have sent a letter detailing reasons for his “disillusionment” to All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi.

Mr. Krishna, who belongs to the dominant Vokkaliga community, has been a vocal critic of the functioning of leaders who have come from the Janata Parivar, including Mr. Siddaramaiah. Mr. Krishna, who belongs to the “old school” of the Congress, was resentful of being “sidelined” by the party. The last time Mr. Siddarmaiah met Mr. Krishna was when the Supreme Court directed the State to release Cauvery waters to Tamil Nadu in September 2016.

Legislators, who were dropped from the State Cabinet, and other disgruntled senior leaders plan to rally behind Mr. Krishna. Several Congress leaders and Ministers have sought the blessings of the veteran leader and have urged him to give suggestions to the party, which faces a tough poll in 2018.

Comments

Think Tank
 - 
Sunday, 29 Jan 2017

Yavaglo hogbekithhu e nan maga....Brahminism yavaglu onde...adu conReSS irli athva Barathiya KJanwaru Party irli .....adu banna bidalla......

his EXIT willbe a Big gain to congress......will improve in Shaa Allah

A. Mangalore
 - 
Sunday, 29 Jan 2017

The person who's age is 85 years. He enjoyed from Chief Minister to the Central External Minister and then Governor and now in his totally retire age he should not quit that party that gave him all his power and respect throughout his life. This is the age to enjoy his remaining days with his family and friends and not to make any tamasha. This is really unfortunate.

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News Network
January 31,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 31: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday got the green signal from the BJP central leadership for the much-awaited cabinet expansion in the state and he is mostly likely to induct 11 ministers. Yediyurappa said the date of swearing-in will be decided in a day or two, although he indicated that it would most likely be held on February 3.

Currently, there are 18 ministers, including the chief minister, in the cabinet that has a sanctioned strength of 34. Sixteen berths are vacant. "Many of our suggestions have been accepted by Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president J P Nadda. If there are differences, we will discuss in Bengaluru and finalise it," Yediyurappa told reporters after meeting Shah in the Parliament Complex here.

Except for one or two, most of the disqualified JDS-Congress MLAs who got re-elected in the bypolls on BJP tickets will be made ministers, he said, adding there won't be any additional deputy chief ministers. However, sources said, a total of 11 ministers would be inducted into the cabinet.

"We discussed yesterday and now also. Shah has agreed to almost everything," Yediyurappa said, adding he is returning back "happy" after getting the nod for the cabinet expansion. "I am going happy," he said.

Yediyurappa had been anxiously waiting for the party high command's approval to expand his ministry amid intense lobbying by the aspirants. Opposition parties have been critical of the BJP and Yediyurappa over the delay in the cabinet expansion, alleging he was weak and that his administration had collapsed.

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News Network
March 25,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 25: A full-fledged control room was set up at the Deputy Commissioner's office in Mangaluru to collect all information about the suspected patients.  

The control room will function under the guidance of KIADB special land acquisition officer.  

All the details on those who arrived from foreign countries via Mangalore Airport, via airports in other districts, primary and secondary contacts of the people who arrived from foreign countries are being compiled at the control room.

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News Network
January 11,2020

Mysuru, Jan 11: Accusing the Congress and other opposition parties of pursuing “vote bank politics” on the Citizenship (Amendment ) Act (CAA), Kannada littérateur and Saraswathi Samman awardee S L Byrappa accused the party of misleading the people on the issue.

Speaking to media persons here on Friday, Mr Bhyrappa said that Congress was adopting the divide and rule policy of the British, who had created a rift between the Hindus and the Muslims to break their unity during the freedom struggle.

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