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MLC Polls: JDS fields candidates only in 7 seats out of 25

News Network
November 23, 2021

Bengaluru, Nov 23: The JD(S) on Monday fielded only seven candidates for the upcoming Legislative Council elections to 25 seats. Elections are scheduled to be held on December 10.

The regional party will contest for the local authorities’ seats in Mandya, Tumakuru, Mysuru, Kolar, Bengaluru Rural, Kodagu and Hassan.

Former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy said the JD(S) had won four seats in the previous elections. “As announced earlier, we have stuck to seven seats. Our aim is to win all these seven seats,” he said.

The JD(S) list includes a sitting member of the upper house HM Ramesh Gowda, who will be the party’s candidate from the Bengaluru Rural local authorities’ seat.

Although his term ends June 2022, Ramesh said that he decided to contest as he has a “good grasp” of issues in Bengaluru Rural. “I hail from Hoskote and I’m aware of issues faced by people in Bengaluru Rural. I still have six more months for my term to end. However, the process for those elections, too, will begin in another three months. So I decided to contest now," he said.

If he wins from Bengaluru Rural, Ramesh will have to resign from his current membership and take a fresh oath as a Legislative Council member. He is a second-time contestant.
The party has nominated another incumbent MLC Appaji Gowda who will seek a re-election from the Mandya local authorities’ seat.

Suraj Revanna, former prime minister and JD(S) supremo HD Devegowda's grandson and former minister HD Revanna's son, is the face of the party’s first family in these elections. Suraj is a first-time contestant making his bid to enter the upper house.

The JD(S) has also brought in four fresh faces: Anil Kumar (Tumakuru), CN Manje Gowda (Mysuru), Vakkaleri Ramu (Kolar) and HU Issaq Khan (Kodagu).

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News Network
January 23,2026

Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot read only three lines from the 122-paragraph address prepared by the Congress-led state government while addressing the joint session of the Legislature on Thursday, effectively bypassing large sections critical of the BJP-led Union government.

The omitted portions of the customary Governor’s address outlined what the state government described as a “suppressive situation in economic and policy matters” under India’s federal framework. The speech also sharply criticised the Centre’s move to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) with the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) Act, commonly referred to as the VB-GRAM (G) Act.

Governor Gehlot had earlier conveyed his objection to several paragraphs that were explicitly critical of the Union government. On Thursday, he confined himself to the opening lines — “I extend a warm welcome to all of you to the joint session of the State legislature. I am extremely pleased to address this august House” — before jumping directly to the concluding sentence of the final paragraph.

He ended the address by reading the last line of paragraph 122: “Overall, my government is firmly committed to doubling the pace of the State’s economic, social and physical development. Jai Hind — Jai Karnataka.”

According to the prepared speech, the Karnataka government demanded the scrapping of the VB-GRAM (G) Act, describing it as “contractor-centric” and detrimental to rural livelihoods, and called for the full restoration of MGNREGA. The state government argued that the new law undermines decentralisation, weakens labour protections, and centralises decision-making in violation of constitutional norms.

Key points from the unread sections of the speech:

•    Karnataka facing a “suppressive” economic and policy environment within the federal system

•    Repeal of MGNREGA described as a blow to rural livelihoods

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of protecting corporate and contractor interests

•    New law alleged to weaken decentralised governance

•    Decision-making said to be imposed by the Centre without consulting states

•    Rights of Adivasis, women, backward classes and agrarian communities curtailed

•    Labourers allegedly placed under contractor control

•    States facing mounting fiscal stress due to central policies

•    VB-GRAM (G) Act accused of enabling large-scale corruption

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