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In the passing away of Umesh Vishwanath Katti(61), the state and more so the border Belagavi district has lost a heavy weight well known for his sway, maneuvering and manipulative politics in the district. Umesh Katti Lost only once with Congress: An eight times MLA from the same Hukkeri Assembly constituency from Janata Party(JP), Janata Dal(JD), Janata Dal United(JD(U)), Janata Dal Secular(JD-S) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), he only failed to make it by a margin of 800 votes on behalf of the Indian National Congress (INC)! A chameleon of sorts: He changed parties not once or twice but for a record number of six times and proved to the onlookers that parties didn’t really matter to him for succeeding in electoral politics. And irrespective of the party he belonged, was successful enough in managing a berth in the state cabinet. Day dreamer of becoming a CM: However, whenever he was left out of the ministry for whatsoever reasons he fondly floated the utopian idea of carving ...

Kalvakuntla Chandrasekhar Rao popularly known as KCR has proved himself a powerful regional leader of the newly carved Telangana state by successively romping back to power for the second tenure as well. A founder of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the regional political outfit floated by the strategist KCR continues to dominate the young state drubbing all other so called national parties at bay to the seat of power. A self made leader: Many a political commentator in fact had pooh-poohed the stance of KCR, when he quit from the ruling Telugu Desam party and stepping down from the position of Deputy Speaker of the undivided Andhra Pradesh Assembly with the dream of forming a separate Telangana state. Some of his political adversaries even went to the extent of predicting his political fortunes as well. However, true to his typical characteristic of a self made leader, KCR stood committed to his goal until it was ensured. Telangana devoid of opposition! Thanks to his prag...

B hopal, capital city of Madhya Pradesh and Bengaluru, capital city of Karnataka are far off from one another and to be precise, 1,441.9 kilometres away by road on the national highway. Apart from the vast distance they are paradoxically divergent in geography, climate, culture and lifestyle. Yet, when it comes to practising present day politics the so called far off distance just fizzles out to your astonishment. The Kamalnath led Congress party government in Madhya Pradesh is now at the brink of a disaster, thanks to the 20+ ruling party legislators including six sitting ministers who have resolved to bid adieu to the national party on whose tickets they were elected to the state Assembly. This change of heart within the ruling party camp for valid reasons whatsoever is no strange phenomenon if you were to recollect similar such developments in Karnataka,just a few months back. Then 14 Congress and three Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) Members of Legislative Assembly(MLAs'...

T hanks to the political developments at Maharashtra, the Indian National Congress(INC) and Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) leaders of the state are in a upbeat mood to come back to power by burying the hatchet. However, to upset their day dreaming of returning to power and thwart all mega plans the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) is said to have set in motion "Operation Lotus 2". The electioneering campaign for the ensuing 05 December bye-elections to 15 Assembly constituencies began with a dull note but for Siddaramaiah, former chief minister and Congress Legislative Party(CLP) leader taking the lead all alone in a whirlwind fashion. Interestingly as the day of public campaigning ends by tomorrow evening, Siddaramaiah by and large has remained all alone in campaigning for the party candidates. Many a party senior leader have chose it wise to abstain themselves from joining hands with the former chief minister elevated as CLP leader soon after the fall of JDS-INC coalition go...

T he ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) looks to be poised for a comfortable win in a majority of the 15 state Assembly constituencies wherein bye-polls are scheduled on coming Thursday 05 December. However, Rajarajeshwarinagar in Bengaluru city and Maski constituency in Raichuru district are not included in this phase of bye-polls as the defeated BJP candidates have contested the victory of the then rival Congress candidates in both these constituencies during the May 2018 general elections. A lot of dust has been created among the BJP, INC and JD-S leaders who have been overbusy these days by washing linen in public during the electioneering campaign which is getting over in the next couple of days. Although the polling process is slated to be over on 05 December, the results will be known only on next Monday, 09 December when the Electronic Voting Machines(EVM's) will be unlocked for counting of votes. These bye-elections made inevitable due to the resignations of 14...

T he political fate of the 17 disqualified state Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs’) is set to be known tomorrow as the apex court is scheduled to pronounce its judgement over the subject. The proposed ruling of the Supreme Court is crucial not to the Indian National Congress (INC) and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislators alone but even to the BS Yediyurappa led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state. It may be recalled here that KR Rameshkumar, then Speaker of the state Assembly had disqualified, in all 14 Congress and three Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) MLAs’ on 29 July last, just one day before the crucial trial of strength of BS Yediyurappa led BJP government.By such an action of the former Speaker, the total strength of the state Assembly was reduced from 225(224 elected and one nominated member) to 207. Interestingly this is not the first time that the state is coming across such an instance. The same BS Yediyurappa led BJP government underwent a simi...

Doddalahalli Kempegowda Shivakumar popularly referred as DKShi is back in town after spending 50 days in police lock up and Tihar jail in New Delhi. Thanks to his release following a bail from the Delhi high court, the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee(KPCC) for public consumption is in upbeat mood while his detractors within the party continue to remain sore over the development. DK Shivakumar, Man Friday of the All India Congress Committee(AICC), former Power Minister in the short lived HD Kumaraswamy led Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) Indian National Congress(INC) supported alliance government is on the cross roads of his political career now due to the drilling by Enforcement Directorate(ED) officials over money laundering cases. During deliberations in the state Assembly over the crucial trial of strength of BS Yediyurappa led Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) government a couple of months back, he himself had expressed apprehension about his imminent arrest sooner or later. He had ...

KR Rameshkumar, Speaker of the state Assembly today disqualified 11 Indian National Congress(INC) and Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) members of the state Assembly with immediate effect while the disqualified legislators have described the ruling as lopsided and will contest the same in the court. The disqualified legislators are as follows: Indian National Congress(INC) 1.Prathapgouda Patil(Maski constituency in Raichur district) 2.BC Patil(Hirekerur in Haveri district) 3.Shivaram Hebbar(Yellapura in North Canara district) 4.ST Somasekhar(Yeshavantapura in Bengaluru Urban district) 5.Bhairathi A Basavaraj(KR Puram In Bengaluru Urban district) 6.Anandsingh(Vijayanagar in Ballari district) 7.R Roshan Baig(Shivajinagar in Bengaluru Urban district) 8.Muniratna(Rajarajeshwarinagar in Bengaluru Urban district) 9.Dr K Sudhakarreddy(Chikkaballapur in Chikkaballapur district) 10.MTB Nagaraj(Hoskote in Bengaluru Rural district) 11.Shrimanth Balasaheb Patil(Kagwad in Belagavi district). Janata Dal-...

B elagavi, hitherto known as Belgaum district bordering Maharashtra on one side and Goa on the other is an interesting, lively and a piquant portion of land well known and notoriously known for many a reason continues to reel under severe threat if at all you wish to ponder about democracy and civilian rights.The district is again back in headlines following the renewal of Ramesh Jharkiholi , former district minister and Gokak Congress MLA's threat to bid adieu to the Congress party and join the Bharatiya Janata Party. This is not for the first time that the disgruntled Congress legislator is making his public stance clear for he had done so during the fag end of the previous year as well. In fact, he was camping at a Mumbai private five-star hotel for weeks together along with a handful of Congress MLAs' who was then seriously pondering over the issue of crossing over to the saffron party under the 'Operation Lotus' strategy of the BJP.However, the switching over did...

CK Jaffer Shariff Congress loses its prominent Muslim face in Karnataka Challakere Abdul Kareem Jaffer Shariff was an embodiment of the proverb: Small is beautiful. A relatively dwarf personality by physical stature but made it big on the national politics in general and in a dominant manner on the home turf of Karnataka. But no one disputes the fact of a prominent face of the Congress in the state being withered away with the demise of CK Jaffer Shariff. Unfortunately the former Union Minister’s death went unnoticed in the mainstream media as MH Ambareesh, another former union minister and popular Kannada film personality also passed away the very same day. In fact the local vernacular TV channels beamed live the developments related to the actor’s death and funeral day in and day out but chose to ignore a political leader who had immensely contributed to the state and nation. CKJS’s meteoric rise in politics is typical to the rags and riches stories. He hailed from a ...

JDS-INC candidates register new records in electoral history The recent bye elections held on 3 November to three Lok Sabha and two Assembly constituencies which were projected to be an acid test to both,Janata Dal Secular(JDS) and the Indian National Congress(INC),ruling partners of the state government have proved otherwise in the results announced today. Both,Mandya Lok Sabha constituency in Mandya district and Ramanagar Assembly constituency in adjoining Ramanagar district in the old Mysuru region have gone to the Janata Dal Secular candidates as expected.But Ballari Lok Sabha constituency in Hyderabad Karnataka region and Jamakhandi Assembly of Bagalkote district in Mumbai Karnataka area have gone the Congress way thus giving the main opposition party,Bharatiya Janata Party a big jolt. The face saving factor to the BJP remained in BY Raghavendra of the party in retaining Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency in the Malnad region where he trounced Madhu Bangarappa,the combined ...

Candidate managing to garner more sympathy likely winner in Jamkhandi Assembly constituency! Jamkhandi Assembly constituency in Bagalkote district coming under the purview of Mumbai Karnataka region is again gearing up for the bye polls scheduled on coming 3 November.The elections are necessitated following the untimely tragic demise of Siddu Bhimappa Nyamgouda,sitting Congress MLA. Anand Nyamgouda,son of late Siddu Nyamagouda is now the Congress candidate and it goes without saying that the party wants to capitalize the sympathy factor arising out of the accidental death of the legislator.The deceased MLA's son is no novice to politics as it has been him behind the scenes nursing the constituency on behalf of his father. Late Siddu Nyamagouda,apart from his party affiliations was well respected by the people and more so among the farming community.It goes to his credit of building the Shrama Bindu Sagar,popularly known as the Chikkapadasalgi barrage across river Kr...

B Sriramulu has an uphill task to ensure his sister's victory in Ballari Lok Sabha constituency Ballari Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka is again poised for another bye elections on 3 November and this time around its no cake walk to B Sriramulu,BJP strong man of the   district.In   fact the vacancy has taken place following his resignation to this Lok Sabha seat.He was elected from the Molakalmuru ST Reserve Assembly constituency in the previous general elections. Former one time Ballari MP  and B Sriramulu's sister J Shanta  is once again the BJP candidate here.She is more known as B Sriramulu's sister rather than carving a niche for herself in the political and public circles.But any way she is considered as a local person in comparison to her Congress rival VS Ugrappa,presently MLC. The iron ore rich district had been in the news for all the wrong reasons for a pretty prolonged period of time.Thanks to excessive illegal mining operations of G Jan...

Shivamogga LS constituency awaits a royal battle;Sons' of three former CM's into the fray Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka is witnessing an unusual tussle for the ensuing bye elections scheduled on 3 November.Irrespective of whoever making it through in the polls considered to be semi finals for the forthcoming general elections during 2019 the tenure is short lived and at the most not more than six months. The bye elections now a bone of contention between the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and two strange bed mates on power sharing seat,Janata Dal Secular and Indian National Congress was necessitated following the resignation of BS Yeddyurappa to the Lok Sabha constituency.He quit it following his election to the state Assembly from Shikaripura constituency in the same district. Now BY Raghavendra,former Shikaripura MLA and Shivamogga MP and son of BS Yeddyurappa is the BJP candidate here.On the other hand Madhu Bangarappa,former Sorab MLA in the...