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T he forthcoming bye-elections to 15 Assembly constituencies in the state on 05 December are not just like any other bye-elections in nature but a forced one upon the people of the state to ensure that the saffron party romps back to power enabling B S Yediyurappa to become a Chief Minister for the fourth time.The two objectives of the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) assuming power and the party's mass leader occupying the hot seat are being accomplished. But these crucial bye-elections have now turned out to be an acid test of political fate for multiple leaders including the incumbent chief minister and three other former chief ministers and an Ex Prime Minister as well. B S Yediyurappa soon after taking the oath of office and secrecy as CM for the fourth time heaved a sigh of relief for making his dream come true. However, the path later on continues to be a stumbling block for him at each and every step so far. He himself admitted during the 100 days in office celebration: Eve

A ll the 17 Indian National Congress(INC) and Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) Members of state Assembly but for R Roshan Baig(former Shivajinagar Congress MLA) have formally joined the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) on 14 November and have also been gifted with the saffron party tickets to contest the ensuing 05 December bye-polls. But now the moot point haunting the ruling party top brass is: Forget most of them, whether at least a handful of them will be able to emerge victorious? There are multiple reasons and doubts for such a feeling to pervade among all those who matter in the corridors of power under the present dispensation. Probably it’s a strange situation the ruling party has come across wherein it needs to register victory at least in eight out of the 15 constituencies to retain a simple majority. The interesting noteworthy feature and paradoxical turn of circumstances this time around is that the ruling BJP must first win over its own party cadres and leaders much before it

T he BS Yediurappa led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state government has enough reasons to heave a sigh of relief following an olive leaf offered by HD Kumaraswamy, former chief minister and state Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) party president. HD Kumaraswamy recently announced: Siddaramaiah, former chief minister and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) may be in a hurry to topple this government and go for elections. But I will not allow that to happen…The sudden and unexpected move by the self-proclaimed regional peasants outfit otherwise dubbed as father and sons, now grandsons’ party by detractors is not out of any special love and affection for the saffron party or its chief minister but for a well-orchestrated political strategy to exist and thrive. Of late the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) legislature party is a divided house and has internally led into multiple diverse factions. Three legislators including H Vishwanath (represented Hunsuru constituency in Mysuru district) former state par

T hanks to the announcement of the calendar of events for by-elections to the 15 Assembly constituencies in the state the street fight for bagging the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) tickets is also on a new high now! Rajarajeshwarinagar in Bengaluru Urban and Ranebennur in Haveri districts should have also gone for similar by-elections simultaneously as the MLAs' of these constituencies have tendered resignations to these seats.  The defeated Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) rivals have contested these elections, so the election commission has set aside the decision of holding elections in these two places. Elsewhere the battle by the erstwhile Indian National Congress(INC) and Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) legislators' for bagging the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) tickets is on. In some constituencies, there has been stiff opposition from defeated BJP candidates for parting away from the saffron party ticket to the new entrants.  Sharat Bachhegowda, son of

T hanks to Yesterday's announcement of bye-elections to the 15 out of the 17 Assembly constituencies in the state, all those former legislators who quit their memberships' to enable the saffron party to come to power are now literally on the crossroads! Their plea for quashing the state Assembly Speaker's ruling disqualifying them from their memberships and barring them to recontest before the end of the present Assembly's tenure till 2022 is pending before the apex court. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear their petition tomorrow after several adjournments. But the calendar of events for the bye-elections has been declared and as per the Speaker's ruling, they have no eligibility to contest the ensuing by-elections. 14 Indian National Congress(INC) and three Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) Members of Legislative Assembly who quit their positions have been undergoing a harrowing time ever since they resigned. All these legislators submitted their resignations

I s   the state   Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) regional party facing a threat of immediate disintegration to start with and ending up into extinction later?     Well, this has been a pertinent question doing rounds in the state political circles since quite a few days and as of now although the thought may appear to be a figment of imagination, the developments in the party do not dispute such a possibility sooner or later! GT Devegowda, Janata Dal-Secular(JD-S) leader who trounced Siddaramaiah at Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency in Mysuru district during the May 2018 general elections looks to be moving far away from the party fold if his outbursts against the rank and file of the party are to be taken for consideration. He has been repeatedly bashing SR Mahesh, another JD-S leader of Mysuru district. Both were ministers in the previous JDS-Congress coalition government and have fallen apart for various personal and political reasons. SR Srinivas, former minister, Gub

T he BS Yediyurappa led one-month-old Bharatiya Janata Party government is in the news these days for all the wrong reasons. The party's public image no doubt has taken a back seat following such piquant situation! For whatsoever reasons warranting such an adverse situation, the ordinary workers, sympathisers and leaders appear to be undergoing an uneasy calm as a fallout of such a plight. Interestingly or rather hopelessly, this strange turnabout of things has taken shape since the very day BS Yediyurappa was sworn in as the Chief Minister on 26 July 2019. Although he took over the oath of office and secrecy on 26 July, he had to wait till 20 August for getting a nod to expand his lone member cabinet! And till that period he went on touring the flood-affected areas all alone in the capacity of a CM without any members in his cabinet. This plight was enough for the opposition Indian National Congress(INC) and Janata-Dal Secular(JD-S) leaders to have a dig now and then at the f

K oppal Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka has an interesting history as the election of an Indian National Congress candidate was quashed for reasons like excessive expenditure much more than permitted by the Election Commission. image source: kannada.oneindia.com Probably in comparison with the present state of affairs and the huge expenditure indulged by the candidates hoodwinking the officials the above mentioned incident looks strange to believe but is now a fact in the history pages.It was way back in 1951 during the days when Koppal constituency was part of the Hyderabad princely state and known as Kushtagi Lok Sabha constituency. Then Sivamurthyswamy Alawandi,a renowned freedom fighter and champion of the cause for liberation from the then Hyderabad state got elected from here as an Independent candidate in spite of Congress wave across the country.He humbled Madhavarao who had contested on behalf of the Indian National Congress party.Later in the subsequent gener

Devegowda family relies heavily on divine power to retain power The temple run spree of HD Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister of the Janata Dal Secular- Congress alliance government continues to keep going unabated and the pace has dwindled now with the ten days state legislature session scheduled to commence from 10 December in Belagavi Suvarna Soudha. HD Kumaraswamy has reiterated umpteen number of time that he has occupied the chief minister’s position only because of the grace of almighty although the people of the state gave only 38 legislators to the party in the state Assembly. HD Devegowda family is again seeking divine blessings to manage the unstable power boat which has started making dangerous tilts, thanks to the frequent threats of ‘Operation Kamal’ by the 104 member Bharatiya Janata Party. A 20 days yaga for the improvement of HD Kumaraswamy’s fragile health apart from totally destroying all enemies on the political front is currently on at Sringeri, the abode of

JDS-Congress government:Six months of confusion and chaos The HD Kumaraswamy led Janata Dal Secular-Congress alliance state government has managed to complete six months in office with enough dosage of hardships all along the way and most of the major promises unfulfilled. As a token of gratitude to the people of Mandya district the Chief Minister launched developmental projects to the tune of Rs 718 crores at Melukote,the historic vaishnavaite pilgrimage centre.The huge quantum of monetary assistance to any single district is the highest so far after the sworn enemies turned close friends assumed office on this day six months back. It may be recalled here that the ruling Janata Dal Secular party triumphed in Mandya district bagging all the eight Assembly constituencies in the May 2018 general elections.The party also retained the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency in the recently held bye elections. HD Kumaraswamy had embarrassing moments today as a farmer belonging to Mandya district co

HD Kumaraswamy continues to keep media at 'safe distance'          HD Kumaraswamy,the Janata Dal Secular-Congress alliance state Chief Minister looks to have taken a complete U turn about his public stance and utterances on the functioning of media and that too within a short span of six months after taking over the reigns.Today he declared in a government function:Henceforth I shall not issue any press statements... The chief minister seems to be annoyed over the media criticism on his three diverse views within a short time frame of three hours.The dubious change of opinion in such childish fashion only further undermined the sanctity of the  constitutional position he holds. It so happened that just two days back Jayashree, a woman farmer and part of a unruly peasants group which barged into the premises of Suvarna Soudha on the outskirts of Belagavi aired her anger against the present CM.She blasted him for not making arrangements to pay dues to the sugarcane grow

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