Campaigning for Nov 3 Karnataka bypolls comes to an end
Bengaluru, Nov 1: Campaigning for the November 3 bypolls to three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka came to an end Thursday, with a BJP candidate pulling out of the contest and returning to the Congress.
In a major embarrassment for the BJP, two days before the Ramanagara assembly bypoll, its candidate against Chief Minister H.D Kumaraswamy's wife quit the contest on Thursday and returned to the Congress.
With BJP's L Chandrashekhar withdrawing his candidature, Kumaraswamy's wife Anitha Kumaraswamy, is expected to have a smooth sail facing a virtual no-contest.
Bypolls for three Lok Sabha constituencies-Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya and two assembly constituencies- Ramanagara and Jamkhandi, will take place Saturday.
Counting of votes will be on November 6.
Congress and JD(S) that are ruling coalition partners in Karnataka have decided to fight the bypolls unitedly against the BJP.
Congress has fielded its candidates in Jamkhandi and Ballari and JD(S) in Shivamogga, Ramanagara and Mandya.
While Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy remained away from campaigning on the last day as he had take part in the "Karnataka Rajyotsava", state formation day celebrations, in Bengaluru, most leaders from different political parties made a last attempt to woo the voters.
Former chief ministers Siddaramaiah and Jagadish Shettar campaigned in Jamkhandi for Congress candidate Anand Nyamagouda and BJP candidate Shrikant Kulkarni respectively.
State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa campaigned for his son and party candidate B Y Raghavendra who is pitted against another former chief minister S Bangarappa's son Madhu Bangarappa ofthe JD(S).
While senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar campaigned for party candidate V S Ugrappa, considered an outsider for Ballari, BJP's Sriramulu sought votes for his sister J Shanta.
JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister was in the party's bastion of Mandya Thursday to campaign for Shivarame Gowda, who is pitted against a fresh face Dr Siddaramaiah, a retired Commercial Tax officer from the BJP.
However, in a twist to the poll campaign on the last day in Ramanagara, BJP candidate L Chandrashekhar withdrew his candidature.
Announcing his decision to return to his "mother party," the Congress, Chandrashekhar accused BJP and its leaders of "abandoning" him after giving him the ticket.
The development just ahead of polls is being seen as senior Congress leader D K Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh's response to the BJP's alleged attempts to weaken the coalition government by trying to "poach" Congress MLAs.
Upset and embarrassed BJP workers staged a protest in Ramanagara and vented their anger against Chandrashekhar.
Chandrashekhar, son of a senior Congress leader C M Lingappa, had joined BJP as the Congress decided to support the candidate of its ruling coalition partner, JD(S).
Within days after joining the BJP, he was announced as the party's candidate.
During campaigning in the last couple of weeks open expression of displeasure by congress workers was seen in the Vokkaliga bastion of Ramanagara and Mandya constituencies that come under old Mysuru region, as a large section of local party leaders and workers are opposed to their party decision to support JD(S) candidate in both segments.
Congress and JD(S) that had fought bitterly against each other in the assembly polls, especially in the old Mysore Region, decided to join hands to form a government as the May 12 assembly polls threw up a hung verdict.
There are 31 candidates in the fray.
By-elections have been necessitated after BJP's B S Yeddyurappa (Shivamogga) and B Sriramulu (Ballari), and C S Puttaraju of JD(S) (Mandya) resigned as MPs on their election to the assembly in May this year.
Bypolls to Jamkhandi assembly seat was caused by the death of Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, while Ramanagara fell vacant after Kumaraswamy gave up the seat preferring Channapatna, the other constituency from where he had won.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bengal: On way to PM's rally, 3 mowed down by train amid dense fog
Kolkata (PTI): Three persons died and three others were injured after being hit by a train amid dense fog on Saturday, while travelling to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally at Taherpur in West Bengal's Nadia district, a senior official said.
The incident occurred between Taherpur and Badkulla railway stations under the Sealdah-Krishnanagar section of Eastern Railway, he said.
Modi, whose helicopter could not land at Taherpur due to dense fog and low visibility, condoled the death of the “BJP workers” in his virtual address from Kolkata airport.
“I have come to know that some BJP workers, while travelling to the rally, lost their lives in a rail accident. My condolences are with the families of those who have lost their loved ones, and I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured,” Modi said.
The Eastern Railway official told PTI that the incident occurred in the morning when these people, who were travelling by a bus, had stopped the vehicle and walked to the railway tracks to answer nature's call.
"While three persons died on the spot, two others with injuries were admitted to a local hospital," he said.
Another person with minor injuries was released after having been administered first aid, the official said.
The deceased have been identified as Ramprasad Ghosh (74), Shaktipada Sutradhar (55) and Gopinath Das (38).
Meanwhile, Mahua Moitra, Trinamool Congress MP from Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district, alleged that the BJP ignored the incident and went ahead with the rally.
"Terrible tragedy hushed up at altar of @narendramodi ego. @BJP4India supporters brought from far Murshidabad for PM rally in Ranaghat today," she said in a post on X.
"4 went to answer nature's call and were killed by 31814 down local train near Taherpur. BJP ignored, blacked out & went ahead with rally," Moitra claimed.
Reacting to her remarks, the West Bengal BJP, in a post on X, asserted that the TMC "has always been adept at milking tragedies", and was being "disrespectful to the unfortunate victims of this tragedy".
The TMC alleged that BJP leaders have not shown "neither concern nor compassion" over the mishap.
"The loss of three lives in Taherpur should have united everyone in grief. But @BJP4India leaders showed neither concern nor compassion," it said in another post on X.
"At this painful moment, Smt @MamataOfficial and Shri @abhishekaitc put humanity above party lines and stood beside the families of the deceased," the party said.
TMC’s on-ground leaders promptly reached out to the grieving family members, ensuring them of help and assistance, it said.
"While Delhi’s rulers chase Bengal with arrogance, our leadership chose empathy. This is the difference between politics of power and politics of people!" the TMC added.
