It's by-poll merry-go-round

April 20, 2013
Bangalore, Apr 20: Karnataka, which has earned the rather dubious distinction of witnessing around 20 assembly by-polls in the five years the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been in power, could possibly see by-elections for at least three Lok Sabha and one Rajya Sabha seats in the near future.

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The assembly by-polls were mostly caused by Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislators quitting the assembly and their parties to join the ruling party.

Now, two JD-S Lok Sabha members, one of the BJP, as also a Congress member of the Rajya Sabha, are contesting the May 5 assembly poll.

Their victory would mean four by-polls, the three for the Lok Sabha at a time when the house has less than a year for completing its present term. All four MPs are contesting from the areas considered their strongholds and their victory prospects are bright.

Of the four, JD-S state unit president and former chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy is set to take the cake for causing two by-polls in four years, one for the assembly and one for the Lok Sabha, if he wins the May 5 election.

He won the Ramanagaram seat in 2008, but quit the assembly to contest the 2009 Lok Sabha poll from the eponymous parliamentary constituency.

The other JD-S Lok Sabha member in the fray is N. Cheluvaraya Swamy from the Mandya constituency, about 80 km from Bangalore. He is contesting for the Nagamangala assembly seat.

The BJP Lok Sabha member in the fray for the assembly poll is P.C. Mohan. He won the 2009 Lok Sabha poll from the Bangalore Central constituency and is seeking to enter the assembly from Gandhinagar in the heart of Bangalore.

The Congress has fielded mining baron and Rajya Sabha member Anil Lad from the iron-ore rich Bellary district in north Karnataka. He is contesting for the Bellary city seat.

While all parties are responsible for causing by-polls because of the switch from the assembly to parliament or vice versa, the BJP will have to live with the dubious distinction of setting a record in the state by inflicting the most after capturing power in a southern state for the first time.

The Congress necessitated one assembly by-poll when it forced a reluctant Mallikharjun Kharge to give up the Chitapur assembly seat from north Karnataka's Gulbarga district he had won in the 2008 election to contest for the Lok Sabha in 2009.

He won from Gulbarga and is now the central labour and employment minister.

The BJP, which beat the anti-defection law hollow by inducing Congress and JD-S assembly members to quit the house and their parties and contest the subsequent by-polls as its nominees, also caused one Lok Sabha by-poll.

With the BJP's first chief minister in the state, B. S. Yeddyurappa, forced to quit the post over mining bribery charges in July 2011, it made Lok Sabha member D.V. Sadanadnda Gowda the chief minister, forcing a by-poll for the Udupi-Chikmagalur seat.

In the by-poll, the BJP was defeated by Jayaprakash Hegde of the Congress and after being chief minister for less than a year, Gowda also lost the post following a rebellion by Yeddyurappa, who subsequently left the BJP and now heads the Karnataka Janata Party.

Gowda became a legislative council member in a by-poll. If the Karnataka electorate does not give a clear majority to any party in the May 5 assembly poll, the state may only see more by-polls, making a mockery of not only the anti-defection law but of the election process as such.

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News Network
May 4,2024

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan MP said that election for the South West Teachers and Graduates constituencies will be held on June 3.

The notification for the same will be issued on May 9. The last date for filing nominations is May 16. The nominations must be submitted to Regional Commissioner in Mysuru and the last date for withdrawal of nomination is May 17.

The counting of votes will be held on June 6.

As of December 30, 2023 there are 6753 voters in DK district in the South West Teachers Constituency out of which 4520 are women. On the other hand, there are 16,869 graduate voters in the district for the South West graduates constituency.

The voters can submit their application for enrollment in electoral list of the South West Teachers and graduates constituency till May 6. The applications can be submitted at Mangaluru City Corporation or all the taluk offices.

Bulk applications can be submitted by Bar Association, Doctors association, Chartered Accountants Association, registered engineers association for the graduates constituency.

Those who are graduates prior to November 11, 2020 can enroll for voters list in the graduates constituency  by submitting Form 18 along with photo copy of marks card, Aadhaar card, voters' identity card and residential address.

For getting oneself enrolled in the teachers constituency voters, an individual should be teaching for minimum three years prior to November 1, 2023 in high school or higher educational institutions.

For the teachers constituency, educational institutions can submit applications in bulk. If wrong details are furnished in these applications, then they will be punishable under Section 31 of Representation of People Act, warned the DC.

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May 6,2024

Bengaluru, May 6: Arrested JD-S MLA H.D. Revanna, the son of former PM H.D. Deve Gowda, on Sunday said that there is no evidence against him in the sex video scandal kidnapping case and that it was a "conspiracy" against him.

Talking to the media, while being taken for a medical test before being produced in front of a court here, Revanna stated that a kidnapping case had been lodged against him though he does not have 'one black mark' against him in his entire career of 40 years.

"Without evidence, I have been targeted... All allegations against me are false. My arrest has been made out of ill intention," he claimed.

"The case was lodged on April 28, then, they did not have any evidence. Later, the fake evidence was created on May 2 and I was fixed," he alleged.

Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara stated on Sunday that a Blue Corner notice has already been issued against Revanna's son and MP Prajwal Revanna, the prime accused in the sex video scandal, as he is believed to be abroad.

"The Interpol will communicate to all nations and he will be located. Once he is located, the SIT will take a call on how he should be secured and brought back to India," he added.

Revanna was arrested on Saturday on charges of kidnapping one of the victims of the sex video scandal.

Parameshwara further maintained that the arrest of Revanna has saddened JD-S leaders and if action was not taken, the SIT would be blamed too.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge refused to comment on the alleged sex video scandal involving Prajwal Revanna.

About Revanna's arrest, he said that the SIT would initiate action as per the law. "Those indulging in such acts must be taught a lesson and justice should be given to the families of victims. No one can escape the law. No one should use this case politically," he stated.

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May 12,2024

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Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Sunday said that the Special Investigation Team (SIT), probing into sexual abuse charges against Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, will not be going abroad to bring him back, and the Interpol will share information about him.

He also cautioned political leaders about making public statements or sharing information in connection with the case, which is sensitive.

The 33-year-old Prajwal Revanna, who is grandson of JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, is facing charges of sexually abusing several women.

The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a slugfest.

Prajwal Revanna is said to have flown abroad on April 27, a day after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka was held.

He was BJP-JD(S) alliance's joint candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls in the first phase.

"No, there is no such option. Blue Corner Notice has been issued and the Interpol will share the information. The respective country in which he is found or identified - they will inform them (Interpol) and then our agencies, the CBI will get to know, and through them we will get to know."

"So far there is no information," Parameshwara said.

He was responding to a question on reports about the SIT team travelling abroad in connection with the case.

Speaking to reporters, he said, "Investigation is going on, not to affect the investigation we don't want to share any information."

Responding to a question on Union Minister Pralhad Joshi's statement alleging conspiracy behind the arrest of BJP leader Devaraje Gowda, for making allegations against Congress leaders in connection with the case, Parameshwara said, "If anyone says anything I cannot react to it. We cannot respond to every public statement. As this is a serious case, we cannot share information until the investigation is completed."

"My request to the public and to our leaders is to be cautious while making statements. If not, based on the statements given by them, we may have to call them for investigation and record their statement under 41 A of CrPC," he added.

Asked whether JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy will also be served notice, the Minister said he is a former CM and that he believes that the former has taken this case seriously.

"Before giving any statements on this case or before sharing any information in the public domain, one has to be cautious, and this applies to all," he added.

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