‘Modi wave’ sweeping Karnataka, says Yeddyurappa

Agencies
April 30, 2018

Bengaluru, Apr 30: Riding a ‘Modi wave’, the BJP will form the next government in Karnataka with absolute majority, its chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa said on Monday, and ruled out a post-poll alliance with the JD(S) “as of now”.

Pollsters have predicted a hung Assembly in Karnataka, with neither the ruling Congress nor the BJP attaining a majority. They have said the JD(S), of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, would emerge as the kingmaker.

Yeddyurappa, a Lingayat strongman who had supported the demand for religious minority status for the community when he headed the Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) that he had formed after breaking away from BJP, said the issue would not hurt the electoral prospects of the saffron party and instead “backfire” on the ruling Congress.

The state BJP chief also said the saffron party was campaigning as a “united force” to achieve the mission of winning 150 seats in the May 12 Assembly polls.

“The Lingayat issue is not going to affect us. This will backfire on Congress,” Yeddyurappa told PTI in an interview.

The Siddaramaiah government had recently recommended to the Centre religious minority status for Lingayats and its sub-caste Veerashaiva Lingayats, in an apparent move to cut into the solid vote base of the BJP which has traditionally backed the party.

The Lingayats, who account for about 17 per cent of the state’s population, have a large presence in north and central Karnataka, especially in Shivamogga, Davanagere and Chitradurga, where their votes can be critical to the electoral outcome.

The BJP has reacted cautiously to the contentious issue, while the Congress, unsure of the consequences it may have for the party in the elections, has also kept it on the back burner.

The 75-year-old Yeddyurappa, who has won seven times from Shikaripura, said he would triumph with a huge margin from his home seat, as the Lingayats would not let him down.

He rejected the Congress’ allegation that the BJP was stoking caste and communal sentiments to win the elections. “Not at all,” he said.

“Had the Congress been secular, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah would not have been contesting from a second place, Badami, a constituency with a sizeable population of Kuruba,” he said. Siddaramaiah hails from the Kuruba community.

Siddaramaiah is “scared” of losing his traditional Chamundeshwari seat, from where he has won five times since 1983, he added.

The BJP has fielded its resourceful Ballari MP B Sriramulu against Siddaramaiah in Badami in North Karnataka.

“We are confident that Sriramulu will win that seat,” Yeddyurappa said.

Asked if the BJP’s alleged “communal politics” would work for it in coastal Karnataka, Yeddyurappa said, “There is no such thing out there. Congress is spreading lies. There is only Modi wave and we are going to sweep not only the coastal region but the entire state.”

He said the party would secure a majority and form the government. “There is no question of post-poll alliance with JD(S) as of now,” Yeddyurappa said.

JD(S)’s chief ministerial nominee H D Kumaraswamy, a son of Dewe Gowda, had told PTI yesterday that he would emerge as the “king” and not a “kingmaker” after the elections.

The JD(S) and BJP had cobbled together a coalition and formed the government headed by Kumaraswamy in 2006.

It collapsed in October 2007, after the JD(S) backtracked on its promise and refused to hand over the reins of power to Yeddyurappa under the agreement the two parties had entered into over rotational chief ministership.

This paved the way for polls which saw the saffron party form its first government in the south in 2008.

Replying to a query on whether Siddaramaiah’s repeated reference to his incarceration for alleged corruption at election meetings was harming his image, Yeddyurappa said, “He is confusing and misleading public because all corruption charges against me have been set aside by the court.”

Yeddyurappa was the first chief minister of Karnataka to have been jailed over allegations of corruption, and had spent 25 days behind bars.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect the 224- member assembly. The results will be declared on May 15.

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Hasan
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Tuesday, 1 May 2018

Modi Wave is sweeping under carpet in Karnataka

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News Network
June 30,2020

Bengaluru, Jun 30: The judicial, non-judicial and administrative functions of the Karnataka High Court has been suspended for Tuesday, for sanitisation of the entire court complex due to "unavoidable circumstances".

The High Court in a notice informed about the decision on Monday.

"It is hereby notified to the litigant public/learned advocates/party-in-person/officers and staff of the High Court of Karnataka, Principal Bench, Bengaluru that, the judicial/non-judicial/administrative functions of the High Court is hereby suspended for one day -- on June 30, 2020, for sanitisation of entire High Court complex, due to unavoidable circumstances," the notice read.

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News Network
May 2,2020

Hubli, May 2: Around 1400 migrant workers from neighbouring districts, working at brick manufacturing factories in Hubli were sent to their respective districts on buses, amid coronavirus lockdown on Friday.

Dr Purushottam, Nodal Officer, COVID-19 task force said, "Total 1473 labourers from eight neighbouring districts, working in the brick manufacturing units of our district were sent by 74 buses. 876 labourers are from Kalburgi where we are sending 44 buses, 350 labourers are from Vijaypura where we are sending 27 buses."

He continued saying that 20 persons will be accommodated in a bus while maintaining social distancing.

"Before the labourers boarded, the buses were disinfected. NWKRTC officials took a special interest in doing so. The District Collector has written letters to the concerned DCs regarding shifting of labourers in every bus, one Nodal Officer will handover them to the local officials," Dr Purushottam added.

On Friday, the buses were sent to seven districts and one bus will be sent today.

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News Network
March 13,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 13: Amid coronavirus outbreak, all universities, malls, and clubs will remain closed for a week in Karnataka. Karnataka CM Yediyurappa has said no one should travel unless it's an emergency. "All malls, cinema halls, pubs, wedding ceremonies and other large gatherings in the Karnataka have been banned for another one week," Chief Minister Yediyurappa said. This comes hours after the Uttar Pradesh government had decided that all schools, colleges situated in the state will be closed till 31st March 2020.

Following the decision, the Karnataka government on Friday asked doctors and other health staff to work on public holidays also till the spread of coronavirus is contained. Leaves and all week off of state health ministry workers have also been canceled. The government issued a circular stating that certain emergency measures are being taken to control the spread of coronavirus is some parts of the State.

"To manage things in a result-oriented manner, doctors, office personnel, paramedical staff and other permanent and contract employees in hospitals coming under the Health Department have been instructed to work on all public holidays." the government order read.

The decision comes after 76-year-old man in Karnataka's Kalaburagi died of coronavirus and became India's first COVID-19 victim. 46 people in Kalaburagui have been kept under coronavirus quarantine since then. Out of 46, 31 have been put under the "high risk" category. The high-risk persons were shifted to ESIC hospital. Officials said four family members of the man have displayed flu symptoms and their swab samples have been sent for testing in Bengaluru.

Earlier on Friday, an employee of Google's Bengaluru office tested positive for n-coronavirus, taking the total COVID-19 positive cases in Bengaluru to 5. India's total coronavirus positive count rose to 75. Several other states including capital Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh invoked various sections of the epidemic disease act. Meanwhile, the Indian Army has also called off all recruitment drive in wake of coronavirus outbreak.

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