Chief Minister puts naxals on notice

Kalasa, March 15: Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has warned stringent action against naxals operating in the Malnad region of the State.

He was speaking at a campaign meeting for the byelection to the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency in the town on Wednesday. The operations had been intensified against the ultras, the chief minister said.

Steps would also be taken to provide basic amenities to people in the naxal-hit areas, Gowda said. The chief minister and Home Minister R Ashoka sought votes for party candidate Sunil Kumar.

Voting will take place in 1,630 polling stations in the March 18 bypoll. As many as 251 polling booths in the naxal-affected areas have been identified as hyper-sensitive.

Crises

Sadananda Gowda, in a veiled attack on former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, said the BJP had faced embarrassments in the State on several occasions which had been overcome and the recent confusions caused by leaders would not have a big impact.

He was replying to a query by reporters in Chikmagalur, on Yeddyurappa's statement that Gowda would feel embarrassed if he campaigned for the party candidate in the byelection to the Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency.

Yeddyurappa had made the comment in response to Gowda's remark that eight cases against Yeddyurappa were still pending inquiry.

Gowda said he would not feel embarrassed as the party had seen bigger crises earlier.

“These minor hiccups will not have any impact on the government and I have the political acumen to steer the State towards progress amid such constraints,” the chief minister said.