Page 2 - Karnataka

Rahul Gandhi, high command to decide on Karnataka CM issue: Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said that ultimately, Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi and the party high command have to take a decision on the CM change issue, and everyone will abide by their decision. He said that he has spoken to the high command, and the leadership have told him that they will decide. The CM's statement came a day after Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that the confusion over the leadership issue in the party's Karnataka unit exists only at the local level and not within the party high command. He had also said that the local leaders should take ownership of the internal disputes rather than blaming the high command. "I don't know about it. Rahul Gandhi and the high command have to decide. Whatever they decide, I'm committed to it," Siddaramaiah told reporters here in response to a question on Kharge's statement. Speaking to reporters here, he said, "I have spoken to the high command. They have said that they will decide. I will abi

Priyank Kharge claims G RAM G Act weakens MGNREGA's rights-based framework

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday strongly criticised the Union government's VB-G RAM G act 2025 that replaced MGNREGA, claiming that changes in the new legislation weaken and undermine the previous act's core promise as a rights-based rural employment programme. In a post on social media platform 'X', Priyank Kharge said the act would gradually make the scheme untenable by transforming it from a demand-driven legal entitlement into a supply-driven arrangement, thereby stripping citizens of their right to demand work. He observed that while the Centre would retain most decision-making powers, states would be forced to shoulder the bulk of the financial and administrative burden. "Much has been spoken about the VB-G RAM G Bill. But beyond everything else, these changes will slowly make the scheme untenable and eventually kill the idea of a rights-based rural employment guarantee," Priyank Kharge, son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, said in his post. The minister,

Leadership row: Will wait for Congress high command's call, says Shivakumar

With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM D K Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to discuss the matter. He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when called. "I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session in Belagavi. Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go." "They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," th

Congress high command will call us at 'appropriate time': DK Shivakumar

With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter. He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned. "I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session. Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go." "They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnat

Siddaramaiah rejects power-sharing theory, says will remain Karnataka CM

Speculation over whether DK Shivakumar would be appointed CM by the Congress high command persisted for a few days and was subsequently clarified by the party after the two leaders met for breakfast

Karnataka power tussle: CM Siddaramaiah attends Satish Jarkiholi's dinner

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, along with a group of Ministers and legislators, attended a dinner hosted by senior Minister Satish Jarkiholi here on December 18, official sources said. The dinner meeting held at the residence of Jarkiholi, who is considered close to Siddaramaiah, has sparked speculations amid the ongoing power tussle within the ruling Congress over the CM post. According to sources, the attendees included Ministers G Parameshwara, H C Mahadevappa, B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, M C Sudhakar, and MLA A S Ponnanna. All of them are considered close to Siddaramaiah. The gathering followed a dinner the previous night, where Jarkiholi hosted over thirty like-minded legislators at a hotel here. While Siddaramaiah skipped it, his son and MLC Yathindra Siddaramaiah, confidant and MLA K N Rajanna, were among those who were present. The dinner meetings come a week after over 30 Congress legislators, including some Ministers, met for dinner along with Deputy Chief Minister D

Pigeon feeding under fire: Why bans are spreading across Indian states

As authorities cite health risks from pigeon droppings, cities like Mumbai and Bangalore move to restrict feeding, even as communities push back

Dy CM Shivakumar will become K'taka CM on January 6, says Congress MLA

A ruling Congress MLA, H A Iqbal Hussain, on Saturday predicted that Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will become Chief Minister on January 6. He said the post, presently occupied by Siddaramaiah, should be vacated for Shivakumar. Shivakumar should be given a chance to become chief minister, the Ramanagara MLA told reporters. "There is a 99 per cent chance that he becomes chief minister on January 6," Hussain, who is a staunch supporter of Shivakumar, said. When asked what significance the date has, he said, "I don't know. It's just a random number. Everybody is saying this. It can either be January 6 or 9. These are the two dates." Hussain has been demanding that Shivakumar should be made the chief minister. On Friday, he had made his wish public. Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Railways and a BJP MP, V Somanna, said that he is supporting Home Minister G Parameshwara for the CM post. "Getting power is luck. I never dreamt that Parameshwara would remain just as the Hom

Karnataka 'vote theft' case: SIT names ex-BJP MLA, son in chargesheet

The SIT which is probing the alleged 'vote chori' (vote theft)' in the Aland Assembly segment in 2023 Assembly elections in Karnataka, has filed a charge sheet naming seven persons, including a former BJP MLA, his son and his close aide. The charge sheet, filed before the First Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate in Bengaluru by the Special Investigation Team, relates to alleged efforts to remove the names of 5,994 voters. According to sources in the CID, the charge sheet comprises over 22,000 pages explaining in detail the modus operandi adopted to delete the voters' names. Those named in the charge sheet are Subhash Guttedar, a four-time former MLA from Aland, his son Harshanand Guttedar, his personal secretary, Tipperudra, three Kalaburagi-based data centre operators-- Akram Pasha, Mukaram Pasha and Mohammed Ashfaq-- and Bapi Adya from West Bengal. Adya was the first person to be arrested in the case. He allegedly operated a website, OTPbazaar, which was linked to a US-base

Gujarat leads in FY25 loan growth, Karnataka in deposits, shows data

RBI data shows state-wise credit trends; Maharashtra leads in outstanding credit and deposits, while Gujarat records highest growth

Karnataka Dy CM, over 30 Congress legislators, ministers meet for dinner

Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and over 30 Congress legislators, including some ministers, met for a dinner late on Thursday night, party sources said. Ministers K H Muniyappa, Mankal Vaidya, Dr M C Sudhakar, MLAs N A Haris, Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, H C Balakrishna, Ganesh Hukkeri, Darshan Dhruvanarayana, Ashok Kumar Rai, K Y Nanjegowda were among those present in the meeting, the sources added. Expelled BJP MLAs ST Somashekhar and Shivaram Hebbar also attended the dinner, they said. The dinner meeting came a day after CM Siddaramaiah, along with ministers and a few legislators considered close to him, met for a dinner hosted by former Belagavi North MLA Feroz Sait. Though leaders term it a casual dinner meeting, speculation is rife as it had taken place amid a power tussle in the ruling party, over the CM post. There were speculations about a change in chief minister when the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, as it was believe

The Devil advance booking: Darshan's film crosses ₹7 cr mark in pre-sales

As per the box office tracker Karnataka Talkies, the advance booking for The Devil has crossed the ₹7 cr mark for day 1. The pre-sales reflect steady interest ahead of the film's release on Dec 11

No leadership change in Karnataka, claims CM Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's son Yathindra Siddaramaiah on Thursday reiterated that there is no leadership change in Karnataka. The Congress MLC further said that there was no power tussle in the state. Speculation about a leadership change had intensified after the Congress government crossed the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20, fuelled by talk of an alleged power-sharing arrangement between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar dating back to 2023. Recently, the chief minister and deputy CM held breakfast meetings at each other's residences on instructions from the party high commanda move seen as an attempt to pause the leadership tussle and signal Siddaramaiah's continuation as chief minister for now, especially ahead of the Belagavi legislature session. They also clarified that they will abide by the party high command's decision. "There is no tussle over CM post. This I have told you already. Now everything is clear. The high command has clearly said as of now there

Karnataka's hate speech bill to safeguard constitutional values: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said that a bill to curb hate speech was to safeguard constitutional values and curb provocative political discourse. He also hit out the opposition BJP for criticising the bill. The state government on Wednesday tabled in the Assembly the Karnataka Hate Speech and Hate Crime (Prevention) Bill that proposed a jail term of up to 10 years and a maximum fine of Rs 1 lakh. Speaking to reporters at the Belagavi Circuit House, Shivakumar said the opposition had no reason to object it. "If the BJP refrains from indulging in hate speech, everything will be fine. They have been the pioneers of creating hostility, be it through caste-based, religious, or personal attacks," he said. He argued that the bill aims to reinforce constitutional principles, countering the BJP's allegation that it is being introduced to target political opponents. "Let the BJP conduct itself as per constitutional values. This legislation is meant to safegua

Karnataka HC withdraws stay on menstrual leave after State's plea

The Karnataka government, last month, passed an order mandating one day paid menstrual leave per month to women employees aged between 18 and 52 years working in permanent, contractual and outsourced

Centre not cooperating with Karnataka to solve farmers' woes: Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Tuesday said that the Centre was not cooperating with the state to solve farmers' problems. The ongoing winter session of the legislature will focus on the burning issues in the state, mainly the farmers, he said, and urged the opposition to join the government to pressurise the Centre over crop procurement and regional development. "We don't know why the Centre is not cooperating with us to resolve the matter. We don't know why it is not releasing funds to procure crops under Minimum Support Price (MSP)," Shivakumar, who is also Congress state president, told reporters here. The winter session of the Karnataka Legislature is in progress in Belagavi. The BJP has decided to stage a protest on Tuesday against the injustice to the farmers. Reiterating that the session must meaningfully address these concerns, he said, "It is our wish that the Centre should release funds for the welfare of Kittur Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka regions

BJP has abandoned its responsibilities as Oppn in Karnataka: Priyank Kharge

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday hit out at the BJP ahead of the Assembly session here, alleging that the party has abandoned its responsibilities as an opposition and was instead focusing only on trivial issues. Speaking to reporters on the premises of Suvarana Vidhana Soudha here, Kharge took a dig at the BJP for remaining silent on matters that fall under the purview of the central government. Responding to a question that the BJP was going to target the Congress government in the session, Kharge said, "Let them do it. They have abandoned their responsibilities as an opposition." "The MSP (Minimum Support Price) for maize was supposed to be given by the Central government. They are not asking about that. Similary, the FRP (Fair and Remunerative Price) for sugarcane is decided by the Centre," he said. Kharge further claimed that the Centre owed Karnataka significant dues, but instead the BJP was raising irrelevant issues. "They owe the state government Rs 13,000 crore

National Herald case: DK Shivakumar calls Delhi Police notice 'harassment'

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday termed the Delhi Police's notice to him, seeking financial and transactional details as part of its probe into the National Herald case, as harassment and said he will fight it legally. Condemning the move, Shivakumar, who is also the state Congress chief, questioned the need for a separate police probe when the ED had already filed a chargesheet in connection with the case. The notice issued by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) states that Shivakumar is supposed to have vital information pertaining to the National Herald case registered on October 3 this year, against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. It is very shocking to me. I have provided all the details to the ED. The ED had summoned me and my brother (former MP D K Suresh) also. There is nothing wrong, it is our (party) institution (National Herald, Young India), and we being Congressmen, we have supported the institution, there is no hide and seek, ...

Shivakumar clarifies on Delhi visit, rejects meeting Congress top brass

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said that he had gone to Delhi to attend a wedding and to discuss with Congress office bearers, arrangements regarding an upcoming party event. He also rejected reports that he met Congress high command leaders amid ongoing power tussle in the state. "I had to go (to Delhi) for a private wedding programme. Also, for the December 14 rally. We are taking about 300 karyakartas and leaders from every district. To arrange accommodation and other things, the responsibility has been given to the working president and AICC secretary, for those coming by train. I have held meetings in this regard and have come back," Shivakumar said. The Congress is scheduled to hold a rally on December 14 at Ramlila Maidan in Delhi against the alleged 'vote chori'. The Deputy CM had gone to Delhi on Wednesday. Accusing the media of "creating news" that has "no strength", Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state unit chief said, "Every day is goo

Karnataka extends one day of monthly paid menstrual leave to govt employees

Karnataka government has extended one day of paid menstrual leave per month to employees in the government sector as well. The government had last month issued an order mandating one day of paid menstrual leave per month to women aged 18-52, working in permanent, contractual and outsourced jobs. It is applicable to women working in all industries and establishments registered under the Factories Act, 1948; Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1961; Plantation Workers Act, 1951; Beedi and Cigar Workers (Conditions of Employment) Act, 1966; and Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961, it had said. Now, on December 2, the government has ordered the granting of one day of menstrual leave every month to female government employees of the state with immediate effect. Women government employees between the age group 18 and 52, who undergo menstruation, are eligible to avail this leave. The authority competent to grant casual leave may grant menstrual leave, and no medical certifi