Congress committee okays 130 ‘undisputed’ names
BENGALURU: A day after the BJP announced its first list of 72 candidates, the Congress screening committee on Monday cleared the names of ‘undisputed’ candidates for 130 constituencies for the upcoming Karnataka assembly elections.
“Names of candidates, including the sitting 122 legislators, who have no challengers in their constituencies have been cleared. The committee charted up undisputed candidates in the first round of screening,” said a party source to TNIE.
The committee considered second-generation ticket aspirants next. The two-day screening committee meeting will be followed by the Central Election Committee meet on Tuesday after which the Congress will release its candidate list for all 224 constituencies.
The screening committee headed by senior party leader Madhusudan Mistry met in New Delhi. The final draft of candidates for all 224 constituencies will be prepared by the committee that includes MPs Tamradhwaj Sahu and Gaurav Gogoi. The draft will be sent for final approval to the Central Election Committee headed by party president Rahul Gandhi.
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RSS man's defamation case against Rahul: Key witness unavailable, hearing adjourned to Dec 20
Thane (PTI): A court in Bhiwandi in Thane district on Saturday adjourned the hearing in the criminal defamation case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi by a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) worker to December 20 due to non-availability of a crucial prosecution witness.
Advocate Narayan Iyer, counsel for Rahul Gandhi, confirmed the adjournment, stating that the witness, Ashok Saykar, currently Deputy Superintendent of Police in Barshi in Solapur, could not remain present due to personal reasons.
Saykar's evidence is now likely to be recorded on December 29.
His testimony is considered key because he, as police sub inspector in 2014, conducted the preliminary inquiry into the private defamation matter under Section 202 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
It was on the basis of Saykar's submitted report that the court subsequently issued process (summons) against Rahul Gandhi under Section 500 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The criminal defamation case was filed by local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte following a speech given by Rahul Gandhi at an election rally near Bhiwandi on March 6, 2014.
The case stems from the Congress leader's alleged statement that "the RSS people killed (Mahatma) Gandhi."
The matter is being heard by Bhiwandi Joint Civil Judge, Junior Division, P M Kolse.
The hearing had previously been adjourned on November 15 after the complainant's counsel, Advocate Prabodh Jaywant, moved an application seeking permission to examine Saykar, who had submitted the probe report to the court.
The matter was originally scheduled for November 29 but was deferred to December 6 after Rahul Gandhi's legal team sought an adjournment citing their non-availability. The proceedings will now resume on December 20.
