Page 80 - Karnataka

Shivakumar to reach Delhi for next Karnataka CM talks, says won't backstab

"The Party is my god...We have built this party, I am a part of it and I am not alone in this," he added

Elections in India, Turkey and Thailand show democracy is not dead

Nevertheless, the last week has been full of reminders that, even in an age when democracy seemed to be in retreat, voters retain the power to prevent their countries from collapsing into autocracy

Want to see my brother as CM: Shivakumar's brother after meeting Kharge

Congress' three central observers met Kharge at his residence here on Monday evening and held deliberations over government formation in Karnataka

Shivakumar will be in Delhi on Tuesday for discussion on govt formation

Karnataka state Congress president D K Shivakumar will reach Delhi on Tuesday for discussion with the party leadership on the government formation in the state, his brother and party MP D K Suresh said. Amid intense lobbying for the chief minister's post, the Congress leadership called Shivakumar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah -- the two frontrunners -- to Delhi for discussions on Monday. Siddaramaiah reached Delhi Monday afternoon, but Shivakumar cancelled his visit at the last minute citing health issues. Later in the evening, D K Suresh, the Congress MP from Bengaluru Rural, met party chief Mallikarjun Kharge at the latter's residence and thereafter told reporters that his brother will be visiting Delhi on Tuesday. "Yes, he will be coming tomorrow," D K Suresh said in response to a question from reporters. After the Congress made a spectacular comeback in Karnataka winning 135 of the 224 seats, the party is now faced with the challenge of picking the chief minister. The

Collect from Congress: Karnataka villagers' refusal to pay bill goes viral

A video of a group of villagers in this district on Monday allegedly refusing to pay their electricity bill citing the pre-poll promise of the Congress to give 200 units for free has gone viral. Among the five 'guarantees' that the party announced is the offer of 200 units of power a month to every household. During campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, the Congress repeatedly said it would give a stamp of approval for these 'guarantees' in the maiden cabinet meeting on the first day of it assuming power in the State. "We won't pay," a villager was heard telling electricity bill collector Gopi in the purported video where people are seen sitting on a platform under a peepal tree. The bill collector then tells them, "You have to pay the bill this month. Let's see what the government says," to which the villagers respond, "What can the government say?" Gopi tells them if the government says it will give free power, then the electricity department will follow ..

Karnataka: DK Shivakumar miffed, says all 135 Congress MLAs support him

Party sources said they were working out a compromise formula, including allocation of portfolios, such as revenue, irrigation and public works department

Congress observers meet Kharge, discuss govt formation in Karnataka

The party sources indicated that the observers informed Kharge of the views of MLAs on the new Chief Minister and the government formation in Karnataka

Cong's CM aspirant Shivakumar cancels Delhi visit, sparks off speculations

Chief Minister aspirant and Karnataka state Congress president D K Shivakumar on Monday cancelled his Delhi trip, hours after confirming he would be flying to the national capital, fuelling speculations that all is not well in the ruling camp over the CM contender issue. He cited health reasons for the change in his travel plans. The senior Congress leader is locked in an intense power struggle with Siddaramaiah over who will lead the party-led government, after Congress stormed to power by winning 135 seats in the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly. Siddaramaiah, a former CM, had left for Delhi by Monday afternoon to meet with AICC leaders. "I have some problem in the stomach. Doctor is coming in ten minutes. It's burning. It looks like some infection and I have fever..... please let me be free...." Shivakumar told reporters. Sources close to him confirmed he is not going to Delhi today. Amid speculations about the number of MLAs supporting him and Siddaramai

Karnataka CM race: Three Congress central observers meet Kharge in Delhi

After holding discussions with newly-elected Congress MLAs in Bengaluru, the party's three central observers met its president Mallikarjun Kharge at his residence here on Monday evening and held deliberations over government formation in Karnataka. Sushilkumar Shinde, Jitendra Singh and Deepak Babaria met Kharge along with general secretary (organisation) K C Venugopal and general secretary in-charge for Karnataka Randeep Surjewala. The six top leaders discussed the report of the observers and the views of newly-elected MLAs elicited by the three during one-on-one interactions with the new legislators held in Bengaluru late on Sunday night. Sources said the observers apprised the Congress president of the views of MLAs on the new chief minister and the government formation in Karnataka. They added the Congress leadership has called both Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar for further discussions and the former has already arrived in the national capital.

Congress leadership has called me, Siddaramaiah to Delhi: Shivakumar

He said he along with Siddaramaiah have been called to Delhi by party high command and that he will be going there late due to personal commitments

Not only Lingayat, BJP lost Dalit, OBC votes too in Karnataka elections

Muslims with conviction voted for Congress without giving any leverage to JD(S) and SDPI

If there is 40% commission in Karnataka, its 80% in Kerala: Congress

After its win in Karnataka where it had blamed the outgoing BJP administration there of being a "40 per cent commission" government, the Congress on Monday took a dig at the ruling LDF in Kerala by terming it as an "80 per cent commission" regime. Senior Congress leader and former Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ramesh Chennithala contended that a second term in power has boosted the "arrogance" of the ruling Left and the Chief Minister of Kerala. He also accused the LDF government of being "submerged" in corruption. "If it was 40 per cent commission in Karnataka, here (in Kerala) they are taking 80 per cent commission," Chennithala said at a press conference held here in connection with the alleged Artificial Intelligence (AI) camera scam. A similar allegation was made by Leader of Opposition in the Assembly V D Satheesan a couple of days ago while reacting to Congress leading during counting of votes polled in the Karnataka elections. Satheesan had said the Congress campaig

Congress voted through secret ballot in K'taka to choose CM: Hariprasad

Even as all observers appointed by Cong president Kharge are returning Delhi to submit report, party leader B.K. Hariprasad said that "secret ballots" were used for voting in the CLP meeting

Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar, two aspiring CMs in race for state's top post

After the Congress' emphatic 135-seat win in the May 10 Karnataka Assembly polls, the focus has now shifted to the all important question, "who will be the Chief Minister." And the race for the top post has heated up between old warhorses Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar, with both leaders making no secret of their ambition to lead the southern state. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) has unanimously authorised All India Congress Committee (AICC) President M Mallikarjun Kharge to pick its leader, who will be the next chief minister of the state. Here is a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis of the two aspiring CMs. Siddaramaiah: STRENGTHS * Mass appeal across the state * Popular among a large section of Congress legislators * Experience of having run a full-term government as Chief Minister (2013-18). * Able administrator with experience of having presented 13 budgets. * Clout among the AHINDA (Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes a

K'taka CM frontrunners may be called to Delhi: Congress' Sushil Shinde

Congress leader and central observer for the legislature party meeting Sushil Kumar Shinde on Monday said senior leaders Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar -- seen to be front-runners for the post of Karnataka Chief Minister -- would be called to Delhi for consultations, if required. "We observers along with Congress General Secretary and in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and General Secretary (Organisation) [K C Venugopal] will go to Delhi," Shinde told reporters here. "Our report (based on feedback received at the Congress Legislaure Party meeting) is secret, which we can't divulge. Only our party president Mallikarjun Kharge can reveal it," he said. If required, Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah will later be called to Delhi, he pointed out. Kharge had deputed former Maharashtra chief minister Shinde, AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh and former AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria as observers for the election of the CLP leader. Shivakumar is engaged in an intense competi

Cannot play communal card everytime: Sibal takes dig at BJP on Karnataka

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday took a swipe at the BJP over its defeat in the Karnataka elections, saying the lesson from the poll outcome was that one cannot sell the same product, repeat the same lies or play the communal card all the time. In the May 10 elections, the Congress won 135 of the 224 seats, while the BJP and the former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively. In a tweet, Sibal said, "Lesson from Karnataka outcome: You can't: sell the same product, repeat the same lies, spew venom, vilify the past, align with a corrupt government and call others corrupt, play the communal card, all the time!" Earlier on Sunday, Sibal had urged the Congress to "win people's hearts" for the next five years in the state by being open, honest and non-discriminatory. Sibal, who was a Union minister during UPA 1 and 2, had quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwa

No call to go to Delhi, govt will be formed at auspicious time: Shivakumar

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D K Shivakumar, a strong contender for the Chief Minister's post, said he has not received any call from the party's central leadership to discuss the issue. When asked whether he will be appointed the Chief Minister, he said: "I don't know. I have done whatever job was given to me. We have sent a one-line resolution to Delhi." He also said the government will be formed at an auspicious time. Amid speculation that he has been asked to come to the national capital by the high command, he said: "I have not received any call yet. Let's see." On when the new government would be formed, Shivakumar said, "We will see an auspicious day of the week, auspicious moment and auspicious 'muhurta'." Shivakumar is engaged in an intense competition with senior party leader Siddaramaiah for the Chief Minister's post. The Karnataka Congress Legislaure Party at its meeting on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution authorising AICC President M ..

Congress victory in Karnataka is best birthday gift for me: Shivakumar

Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar said the thumping victory of the party in the May 10 Assembly elections is the best birthday gift possible given to him by the people. "My life is dedicated to serving the people of Karnataka", said Shivakumar, an eight-time MLA who celebrated his 62nd birthday on Monday. "On the eve of my birthday, the people of Karnataka gave me the best birthday gift possible. Thanks to my Congress family for their warm greetings," he said. Shivakumar is engaged in an intense competition with senior party leader Siddaramaiah for the Chief Minister's post. The Karnataka Congress Legislaure Party at its meeting on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution authorising AICC President M Mallikarjun Kharge to choose the new Chief Minister of the state. In the Assembly polls to the 224-member House, the Congress won 135 seats, the BJP 66 and the JD(S) 19. The results were declared on May 13.

Karnataka election results herald positive future for India: Kerala CM

Reacting to the Karnataka election results, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday said that the results herald a positive future for the country

Congress Legislature Party meeting to decide new Karnataka CM begins

Congress scored a thumping win in the May 10 Assembly polls as it secured 135 seats while the outgoing BJP bagged only 66