All Karnataka MLAs except 2 JD(S) legislators vote in Prez poll

DHNS
July 18, 2017

Bengaluru, Jul 18: As many as 222 of the total 224 MLAs in the state exercised their franchise for the Presidential poll in Bengaluru on Monday.

Congress MP from Chikkodi Prakash B Hukkeri was the lone MP to vote at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru, the venue for the poll in Karnataka, while other MPs from the state voted at Parliament House in New Delhi.

The absentee legislators were JD(S) rebel MLA N Cheluvarayaswamy, who is away in the United States, and YSV Datta of JD(S). Datta’s sister passed away in Kadur, Chikkamagaluru district, on Monday morning.

The three major parties — the Congress, the BJP and the JD(S) — held their respective legislature party meetings at the Vidhana Soudha in the morning before the commencement of the polling.

The Presidential election is witnessing a direct fight between the NDA candidate Ram Nath Kovind and the Opposition nominee Meira Kumar. The JD(S) had announced that it will support Meira.

In Karnataka, the electoral college comprises 28 Lok Sabha members, 12 Rajya Sabha members and 224 MLAs. The value of each vote of an MP is 708, while that of an MLA from Karnataka is 131.

BJP MLAs were among the first to vote for electing the next President of India. Polling was held between 10 am and 5 pm at the committee room on the first floor of the Vidhana Soudha in the presence of observers from the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah arrived at the polling booth along with five of the seven JD(S) rebel MLAs — B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, M B Ramesh Bandisiddegowda, H C Balakrishna, Bhima Naik S and R Akhanda Srinivasa Murthy. The JD(S) had suspended seven MLAs for cross-voting during the Rajya Sabha polls last year.

JD(S) members led by their state president H D Kumaraswamy voted soon after Siddaramaiah left the polling booth.

Specially serial-numbered pens with violet ink were provided to the voters to ensure that only the writing instrument issued by the ECI is used by voters to mark their votes.

Hukkeri said he had opted to vote from his home state as a mark of tribute to the people of Karnataka who had elected him.

The Vidhana Soudha, which of late has been wearing a deserted look, was a beehive of activity on Monday. The corridors of power were crowded with people, many from other districts, who had made a beeline to the Vidhana Soudha knowing that the entire Cabinet and all the MLAs would be present for the Presidential poll.

Four MLAs arrive in wheelchairs

Four MLAs S R Vishwanth (BJP), Rudresh Gowda, Basavaraj Rayareddy and M H Ambareesh (all Congress) took the wheelchair route to the polling booth. While Gowda is suffering from a bout of illness, Vishwanath and Rayareddy recently suffered fracture in their legs after they slipped and fell. Ambareesh indulged in some dramatics much to the delight of onlookers.

Ambareesh who was walking into the Vidhana Soudha saw Rayareddy being helped from his wheelchair into his car.

Ambareesh then sat on the wheelchair and directed his gunman to wheel him to the polling booth. “Dari bidro” (make way), he shouted at the videographers capturing the drama.

At the polling booth, he got up, cast his vote and leaned on the ballot box posing for photographers, “photo thegiro” (take photo) he said. ECI officials cautioned him. He then asked his gunman to wheel him away.

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News Network
March 28,2024

fire.jpg

Mangaluru, Mar 28: A fish meal factory in the Baikampady Industrial area in Mangaluru was gutted in a fire incident on Thursday, officials said.

The factory is owned by the company 'Shihar Enterprises', they said.

According to the locals, the fire was first noticed at 4.45 am today, which was immediately reported to the fire department.

The fire engines reached the spot and tried to douse the fire, but it had already spread to other parts of the factory. After almost four hours of fire-fighting operation, the blaze was completely doused, officials.

The reason for the blaze is still being probed, the fire department officials said, adding that they suspect an electric short circuit could have triggered it.

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News Network
March 19,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 19: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the Congress will split in three months after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and its impact will be visible on the Siddaramaiah-led state government.

"Due to internal squabbles, the state government will not last long," the BJP leader said.

Talking to reporters on Monday, he said the sitting MP from the Gadag-Haveri constituency, Shivakumar Udasi, has done a lot of development work and implemented the Central government's schemes effectively.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi will surely become the PM for the third time. The overall response has been good in the Gadag-Haveri Lok Sabha constituency," the former Karnataka chief minister said.

Asked if he was contesting the election in a half-hearted manner in the Gadag-Haveri seat, Bommai said "such a question does not arise when the party's high command gives instructions".

He said he would respect his opponent and not take anyone lightly. 

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News Network
March 26,2024

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained two suspects in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru, sources confirmed on Tuesday.

The preliminary probe has revealed that the two suspects were in direct contact with the suspected bomber.

The NIA sleuths have picked up the suspects from an area in the state capital. However, a statement is yet to be made by the NIA in this regard.

Even as the investigating agencies, both NIA and state special wing CCB teams have launched an extensive search operation in various states, the bomber has remained elusive. The authorities had obtained the bomber’s images and videos from CCTV footage on March 1, soon after the incident.

Sources said that the sleuths were suspecting that the bomber had come from Tamil Nadu and was staying in a neighbouring state for two months before carrying out the blast.

The hair samples of the accused were gathered from the hat of the accused which he abandoned in Bengaluru near a religious place. The authorities have sent the samples for the DNA testing and were hoping for a breakthrough.

The Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast took place on March 1 on the International Technology Park Limited (ITPL) road in the Brookfield area. Low intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used to carry out the blast and nine persons were injured in the incident.

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