Belagavi, Dec 12: Senior Legislator K Pratapchandra Shetty of Congress was unanimously elected as Karnataka Legislative Council Chairman here on Wednesday during the ongoing Winter Session at Suvarna Vikas Soudha.
Mr Shetty was the lone candidate who had filed his nomination papers yesterday. The senior leader from Udupi has been a four-time MLA and three time MLC.
Senior member of the house and former Minister S R Patil and Allam Veerbhadrappa, both from Congress proposed Mr Shetty's name.
Bengaluru, Jun 7: Suspense over JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda contesting the Rajya Sabha polls from Karnataka with Congress' support continues as KPCC president D K Shivakumar on Saturday said the party has fielded one candidate and the high command will decide on what do with surplus votes.
Mr Shivakumar also said his official takeover as party state unit president is likely to take place on June 14.
"Whatever our national leadership will decide... For now we are fielding only one candidate, regarding surplus votes whatever our high command says, we will abide by it," he said in response to a question about supporting Deve Gowda.
Polls for four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka is scheduled for June 19.
The Congress, which can win one seat with its strength in the assembly, has fielded veteran party leader Mallikarjun Kharge as the candidate, while the BJP is yet to decide on candidates for two seats it can win.
The JD(S), which has 34 seats in the assembly, is not in a position to win a seat in Rajya Sabha on its own, and will need support from one of the national parties with their surplus votes for this.
Minimum 44 votes are required for candidates to win.
Speculation is rife that congress is likely to support JD(S) with its surplus votes if the regional party fields Mr Gowda, and in return may seek favour during legislative council polls slated later this month.
Though JD(S) legislators are of the unanimous opinion that Mr Gowda should contest Rajya Sabha polls, the 87-year-old leader is said to be undecided and weighing options.
If he contests and wins, this will be the second Rajya Sabha entry for him, the first time being in 1996 as Prime Minister.
June 9 is the last date for filing nominations.
Stating that on June 8, Mallikarjun Kharge will file his nomination for Rajya Sabha polls, DK Shivakumar requested party workers not to come to Congress office or Vidhana Soudha, where the nomination will be filed, because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"Let your love and affection continue, but let's not create problems by gathering here. After the election is over, and once he (Kharge) wins, you can greet and congratulate him. Let's not bring a bad name to his seniority for not maintaining social distancing by gathering," he said.
Bengaluru, Apr 5: Opening of Karnataka's borders to Kerala at this point in time will be like "embracing death," chief minister B S Yediyurappa said on Saturday making clear his government's stand not opening the state border.
The chief minister repeatedly said that for his government interest of the people of the state was supreme.
Yediyurappa made his stand clear in a letter to former prime minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda.
Gowda had recently written to the chief minister on March 31 seeking relaxation of the border restrictions on "humanitarian" grounds.
He had also written to Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing his anguish against Karnataka authorities for imposing restriction and promising to raise the matter with prime minister Narendra Modi.
Stating the decision to close the border was not sudden, Yediyurappa said, it was a conscious decision after analysing the health situation in the area following the spread of COVID-19.
The chief minister cited the Indian Medical Association, Mangaluru branch data regarding the spread of Covid-19 in Kasargod of Kerala and surrounding areas which was alarming.
Noting that the region has nearly 106 positive coronaviruscases, he said, "this is the region with most number of infections in the country."
If this restriction is removed, it puts the health of the people of Karnataka in to risk and create a situation of "embracing death", so we will not be able to open the border, Yediyurappa said.
He also clarified that there was no prejudice behind his government's decision, and the interest of the people of the state was of utmost importance.
"...There is also no political maliciousness. We want to have good and brotherly relationship with neighbouring states," he said, adding that opening the border will open a pandora's box that will be disastrous for the state.
Yediyurappa also thanked opposition parties for their support to his government in its fight against COVID-19.
Bengaluru, Jul 2: Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that the "RSS needs to be defeated to save the country" and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah are "destroying the nation".
Kharge was speaking at a KPCC program where DK Shivakumar took charge as state Congress president.
He said that the Prime Minister and the Home Minister are not ready to take accountability for any issues including China, and are instead blaming Rajiv Gandhi Foundation of getting funds from China.
"Rajiv Gandhi foundation utilized funds for the development of the nation and for the betterment of the downtrodden people," Kharge said.
"Prime Minister Modi and Shah both are destroying the economy of the nation, and their policies and plans are the reason for increasing COVID-19 situation in India," he said.
"Prime Minister and Amit Shah never listen to Opposition parties, instead they plan something and their policies are the reason for MSME losses and job losses in the country," he added.
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CONGRATULATIONS AND ALL THE BEST ON THE OCCASSION OF ELECTED KARNATAKA SPEAKER.
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