Shifting sands: Who will support whom in the Karnataka Assembly polls

Who’ll support whom

In recent weeks, Janata Dal (Secular) chief HD Deve Gowda has reached out to former Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav and Communist Party of India (Marxist) chief Sitaram Yechury to seek their support in the coming Karnataka Assembly elections. Yadav and Deve Gowda were together in the Janata Dal (United). However, Yadav, who was in Karnataka recently, has announced his support to the Congress, even when that party has accommodated only one of the seven he had recommended for a party ticket. Yadav says he supports the Congress because that party is best suited to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka in the polls. The CPI (M) has remained non-commital in publicly issuing support for either the Congress or JD(S), but its cadres on the ground are likely to support the Congress.

A lesson in economics 

TCS' climb past the $100-bn market cap mark has got everyone excited. “I salute @TCS for contributing to 5 per cent of our GDP and becoming India’s first $100-bn market cap company. A truly global milestone that makes every Indian proud,” tweeted Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, tagging Tata group chairman emeritus Ratan Tata. Twitter users were quick to point out the inaccuracies in the statement. Some highlighted that Reliance Industries was the first company to touch $100 billion in market capitalisation in 2007, while some others took potshots at Shaw for comparing market cap to GDP. Shaw was polite enough to accept the mistakes and reworked her tweet to: “I salute TCS for becoming India’s first $100 billion market cap IT company representing 5 per cent of our GDP. A truly global milestone that makes every Indian proud!”

Naidu on the rounds

On Tuesday, Venkaiah Naidu conducted a suprise check on the officers and staff of Rajya Sabha secretariat offices located in the Parliament House Annexe and its new extension. During the inspection, he noticed some staff not present in office, electric wires and cables dangling in the open, piles of files blocking the tables, a toilet block emitting foul smell just at the start of a working day and cramped office rooms. He asked officials to ensure better sanitation and maintenance, and urged the need to promote "a participatory work culture.”