Dec 31: Covid cases continue to spike in Karnataka with 832 infections, 8 deaths
Bengaluru, Dec 31: Registering a spike for the third consecutive day, Karnataka on Friday reported 832 new COVID-19 cases and 8 deaths, taking the total number of infections to 30,07,337 and the death toll to 38,335.
The state had on Thursday had reported 707 fresh infections, compared to 566 on Wednesday.
There were 335 discharges today, taking the total number of recoveries to 29,60,261, a health department bulletin said.
Of the new cases, 656 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 211 discharges and 5 deaths.
The total number of active cases in the state is now 8,712.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 0.70 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 0.96 per cent.
Of the deaths reported today, 5 are from Bengaluru Urban, and one each from Dakshina Kannada, Mandya and Uttara Kannada.
Apart from Bengaluru Urban, Udupi district accounted for the second highest of 35 new cases, Dakshina Kannada 30, Kodagu 21 and Hassan 11.
Bengaluru Urban district now has a total of 12,63,618 postive cases, followed by Mysuru 1,80,275 and Tumakuru 1,21,341.
According to the bulletin, Bengaluru Urban was on top among discharges with 12,39,931, followed by Mysuru 1,77,752 and Tumakuru 1,20,142.
Cumulatively a total of 5,64,68,197 samples have been tested in the state, of which 1,17,917 were examined on Friday alone.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
