Siddaramaiah govt is corrupt; Congress will be uprooted from Karnataka: PM Modi

Agencies

May 8, 2018

Vijayapura, May 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused the Congress of pursuing the policy of "divide and rule", and asserted the party would be uprooted from Karnataka in the Assembly elections.

Modi lashed out at the Siddaramaiah government saying there is not a single minister who is not facing allegations of financial wrongdoing.

"Congress believes in the policy of divide and rule... divide on the basis of caste and religion....make brother fight brother. But people of this land of Basaveshwara will not allow it to happen," he told an election rally here in Bijapur district.

Modi repeatedly referred to Basaveshwara, the 12th-century reformer-statesman, who is worshipped by the Lingayats, in an apparent effort to win over the numerically strong and influential community.

The state's ruling Congress has recommended religious minority tag for the Lingayats, a traditional vote base of the BJP, a move, many feel, was aimed at splitting their votes.

BJP's chief ministerial candidate Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community.

"Tell me the name of a single minister who is not facing allegations of corruption," he said, a day after Siddaramaiah sent legal notices to Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, threatening to file civil and criminal defamation suit against them for making unfounded allegations against him.

Modi claimed now even senior Congress leaders have lost confidence in Rahul Gandhi's ability to secure victory for the party in Karnataka.

"Even Congress leaders have begun to feel that the son would not be able to help the party win Karnataka. So, send the mother to ensure its candidates can save their security deposit," Modi said.

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Modi

Please dont dig your own grave, we know very well that who is more corrupt , please turn back and see yourand your party history will tell truth, you can lie to entire world but you cannot lie to yourself. yediyurappa . and amith shah while holding govt. positin only they have been arrested and put behind jail, it is an open secret to entire india

this karantaka election will teach you lesson this time for your life.

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Campus politics: DKS pushes to restore student elections in Karnataka banned since 1989

News Network

November 26,2025

Bengaluru, Nov 26: Karnataka is taking its first concrete steps towards lifting a three-decade-old ban on student elections in colleges and universities. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced Wednesday that the state government will form a small committee to study the reintroduction of campus polls, a practice halted in 1989 following incidents of violence.

Speaking at a 'Constitution Day' event organised by the Karnataka Congress, Mr. Shivakumar underscored the move's aim: nurturing new political leadership from the grassroots.

"Recently, (Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to me and Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) asking us to think about restarting student elections," Shivakumar stated. "I'm announcing today that we'll form a small committee and seek a report on this."

Student elections were banned in Karnataka in 1989, largely due to concerns over violence and the infiltration of political party affiliates into campus life. The ban effectively extinguished vibrant student bodies and the pipeline of young leaders they often produced.

Mr. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Congress president, said that former student leaders will be consulted to "study the pros and cons" of the re-introduction.

Acknowledging the history of the ban, he added, "There were many criminal activities taking place back then. We’ll see how we can conduct (student) elections by regulating such criminal activities."

The Deputy CM reminisced about his own journey, which began on campus. He recalled his political activism at Sri Jagadguru Renukacharya College leading to his first Assembly ticket in 1985 at the age of 23. "That's how student leadership was at the time. Such leadership has gone today. College elections have stopped," he lamented, adding that for many, college elections were "like a big movement" where leaders were forged.

The move, driven by the Congress high command's push to cultivate young talent, will face scrutiny from academics and university authorities who have, in the past, expressed concern that the return of polls could disrupt the peaceful academic environment and turn campuses into political battlegrounds.

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