Madhu Mailankody: Setting Standards for Sports Presentation

Bengaluru, Mar 11: Jyotiraditya Scindia has not betrayed the Congress, but he has been betrayed by the Congress and Kamal Nath, said on Wednesday Madhya Pradesh Congress MLAs who are camping here after tendering the resignations.

"It is not Jyotraditya Scindia who has betrayed. Instead, he has been betrayed by the Congress and Kamal Nath. Despite the fact that it was his hard work that enabled Congress to form the government in MP after 15 years, yet he was being sidelined. His people were sidelined," Mahendra Singh Sisodia was heard saying in a video.

Taking a veiled jibe at Chief Minister Nath, Sisodia said: "On one hand, you claim that treasury is empty and on the other, works worth Rs 12,000 crore is done in Chhindwara constituency. Are the rest of MLAs and ministers just killing time?"

He also warned other Congress MLAs that the party would be decimated in the state in the future.

"Did not the Congress trick people in MP? What happened to the farm loan waiver announced? When we go to our region, people ask us what happened to loan-waiver.
What happened to curb corruption, Vyapam? Whichever party Scindia joins, we will go with him," he said.

Former MP Minister Imarti Devi said that all 22 MLAs are in Bengaluru out of their own choice.

"All 22 MLAs are here (in Bengaluru) on their own will. We are happy Scindiaji has taken this decision. I will always stay with him even if I had to jump in a well. Kamal Nathji never heard us," she said.

Another leader dismissed talks of being in touch with anyone and said that they are happy with the decision of Scindia, who joined the BJP earlier today. He had resigned from the Congress on Tuesday.

Bengaluru, Jun 26: All efforts would be made to control the spread of coronavirus in the city and there will be no fresh lockdown, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Friday said, asserting that improving economic situation of the state is also equally important.

Though the state capital was considered a model for the entire country in COVID management and has seen a spike in cases during the last few days, the pandemic can be controlled if everyone cooperated, he said.

His remarks come a day after Revenue Minister R Ashoka said Bengaluru is still 'safe' compared to the COVID-19 situation in other cities and states and had ruled out a fresh lockdown for now, putting to rest speculations that it was planning such a move in view of spike in cases.

As of Thursday evening, a total of 1,791 COVID-19 cases, including 78 deaths and 505 discharges, had been reported in the city while the state's tally stood at 10,560 compared to just 3,408 cases as on June 1. The state capital has the highest number of cases among the districts.

"There is no question of imposing lockdown for any reason. In some areas (with high case load) we have already implemented lockdown, other than those places there is no question of it being implemented in other places," Yediyurappa told reporters here.

Improving the economic situation of the state was also equally important, he said ahead of his meeting with Ministers, MLAs and MPs of all parties from Bengaluru to discuss measures to control COVID-19.

"I will discuss with all MLAs including those from opposition and Ministers from Bengaluru and come to some decision. With their cooperation we will make all honest efforts to control the pandemic in Bengaluru," he added.

Earlier, there had been intense speculation after some ministers said the government may have to consider re-imposing the lockdown, eased in phases from the middle of last month, in view of continuing spike in new cases in the past several days. Bengaluru was a "model" to the entire country in COVID management, but in recent days cases have increased, Yediyurappa said, adding to control it cooperation from everyone was necessary.

"I have confidence that if everyone (MLAs) pays special attention in their respective assembly constituency, COVID can be controlled," he said. Meanwhile, official sources said the Chief Minister has given Revenue Minister Ashoka the charge of overseeing the COVID management in the city.

Bengaluru, Feb 4: The possibility of defeated MLA CP Yogeshwar being inducted into chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s cabinet is causing ripples within the ruling BJP, with many legislators, especially from Kalyana-Karnataka region, raising a banner of revolt.

Several MLAs led by Surapur legislator Narasimha Nayak, also known as Raju Gouda, held a meeting at the Legislators Home on Monday and voiced their opposition.

"When there are more than two dozen MLAs aspiring for a cabinet berth, making a former MLA a minister is beyond logic," Gouda said. "We will convey our feelings to Yediyurappa and state BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel." Murugesh Nirani, Paranna Munavalli, Rajkumar Patil, Dattatreya Patil Revoor, Basavaraj Mattimud are among others who attended the meeting. MP Renukacharya, political secretary to the CM and Honnali MLA, was also present at the meeting. "Some more MLAs will join us when we meet again tomorrow," Gouda said.

The MLAs highlighted the issue of caste and regional imbalance in the council of ministers to further their cause. With four from Bengaluru and three from Belagavi district set to take oath on February 6, the share of MLAs from these districts in the cabinet will rise to seven and five respectively. Currently, 16 districts have no representation.

Sources say Yediyurappa and BJP’s national leadership decided to reward Yogeshwar with a cabinet berth for his "active" role in getting 17 Congress-JD(S) MLAs to resign and join the BJP, enabling the party to grab power. The party also believes he has the potential to become the Vokkaliga face of the BJP in the Old Mysuru region, where the party’s organisation is weak.

If Yogeshwar is inducted, he will be the second former MLA to make it to Yediyurappa cabinet after deputy CM Laxman Savadi, who lost the 2018 assembly polls. Several party MLAs were unhappy with Savadi’s elevation and are now upping the ante against the party leadership.

"Let Yogeshwar be made Rajya Sabha or council member. We have no problem. But making him minister is not acceptable. If they want to make defeated MLAs ministers, then why not AH Vishwanath and MTB Nagaraj, whose sacrifices brought BJP to power?" said Gouda.

Reports say Yediyurappa has promised Vishwanath and Nagaraj, the disqualified MLAs who lost the bypolls, that they would be made ministers in June. Both met Yediyurappa and secured this assurance. The two were demanding that they be inducted into the cabinet on Thursday.

Meanwhile, Vijayapura MLA Basavanagouda Patil Yatnal urged the CM to evaluate the performance of existing ministers and drop those found non-performing. "Many ministers don’t even come to the Vidhana Soudha. What is the use of having such ministers?" he asked.

Yediyurappa also continued to face pressure to induct Athani MLA Mahesh Kumatalli into the cabinet. The Jarkiholi brothers, Ramesh and Balachandra met Yediyurappa separately on Monday with a request to make Kumatalli, their confidant, a minister.