7 candidates elected 'unopposed' to Karnataka Legislative Council, BJP gains majority in House
Bengaluru, May 27: All the seven candidates in the fray for the biennial election to Karnataka Legislative Council, slated to be elected by the Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), were on Friday declared as elected "unopposed".
The declaration paved the way for the BJP to gain a majority in the Upper House as four out of the seven new members are from the ruling party, two from Congress and JD(S) one.
The polls for seven seats were scheduled to be held on June 3, but on Friday, the last day to withdraw nominations, only seven candidates were in the fray and all of them were declared elected "unopposed", the Returning Officer for MLC polls and Secretary, Karnataka Legislative Assembly, M K Vishalakshi said.
The seven candidates declared elected include BJP's vice-president and former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi, party's state secretaries Hemalatha Nayak and S Keshavaprasad, and President of SC Morcha Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.
Congress' M Nagaraju Yadav, former chairman of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and K Abdul Jabbar, the President of KPCC's minority cell and a former MLC; and JD(S)' T A Saravana, a former MLC, were elected in the other three seats.
The election was necessitated as the term of office of seven members expires on June 14.
The seats will be falling vacant due to the retirement of MLCs -- Laxman Savadi and Lahar Singh Siroya of BJP; Ramappa Timmapur, Allum Veerabhadrappa, Veena Achaiah S of Congress; and H M Ramesha Gowda and Narayana Swamy K V of JD(S).
According to official sources, in case election was to be held, each MLC candidate would require a minimum of 29 votes to win. Based on the strength of each party in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP can win four seats, Congress two, and JD(S) one.
With the election of four BJP candidates, the ruling party will now have a majority in the Legislative Council until June 15, as numbers may alter thereafter, because results will be declared that day for June 13 polls to four MLC seats -- two teachers' and two graduates' constituencies.
Before the election outcome for seven seats was declared, the BJP had 37 members in the 75-member upper house, where it is just one short of a simple majority.
While the Congress had a strength of 26 members, the JD(S) had 10 members. There is also one independent member other than the Chairman.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
