Estimated 60.42 polling percentage reported in 2nd phase of polls in Karnataka
Bengaluru, Apr 23: An estimated 60.42 per cent voter turnout was reported tentatively in 14 Lok Sabha constituencies of Karnataka, for which polls were held in the second phase Tuesday, with the Congress-JD(S) alliance and BJP locked in a fierce contest.
Shimoga,where state BJP chief and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa's son B Y Raghavendra is pittedagainst another former Chief Minister S Bangarappa's son Madhu, recorded the highest turnout of about 68.39 per cent, poll officials said.
The lowest was reported in Raichur with 51.75 per cent, they said, giving the polling percentage till 5 PM, which is expected to go up further in the final tally.
In Gulbarga, a key constituency where Congress leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge is pitted against Umesh Jadhav of BJP, 52.18 per cent voting has taken place so far.
Uttara Kannada,where Union Minister Ananth Kumar Hegde is locking horns with Anand Asnotikar of JD(S) reported 65.58 per cent turnout,while Bijapur,where another union Minister Ramesh Jigajinagi is contesting against Sunitha Devanand Chavan, a political greenhorn, recorded 53.85 per cent.
Voting took place in 28,022 polling stations in the second phase that are mostly in the northern part of the state, covering the entire Hyderabad-Karnataka and Mumbai-Karnatakaregions, as also a couple of central districts and coastal Uttara Kannada.
The BJP,that has a considerable presence in the region, aims to improve its tally, banking on the "Modi wave" and the support of the dominant Lingayat community, considered its vote base.
For the Congress-JD(S) alliance, it is a high stakes battle as their performance is likely to have a bearing on the coalition government in the state.
As Congress sought votes,hoping to cash in on the alleged anti-incumbency against sitting BJP MPs and policies of the Modi government, BJP raised the Lingayat issue intending to further consolidate the community's votes in its favour, that is already considered as its strong vote base.
BJP accused the Congress of trying to divide the community for political gains, pointing at the grand old party's support for demand to accord religious minority status to Lingayats.
The then Congress government's decision to recommend the status to Lingayat community is said to be one of the reasons for the party's debacle in May 2018 assembly polls and BJP aimed to capitalize on it, using the issue once again.
Of the 14 constituencies that went to polls in the second phase, BJP is contesting all the seats.
Congress and JD(S)have fielded their candidates in 12 and two constituencies respectively under their seat sharing arrangement.
While the Congress currently has its hold on only four of the 14 seats that went to the polls, BJP has its sitting MPs in 10 seats.
For veteran Congress leader Kharge, a nine-time MLA and two-term Lok Sabha member, who has never tasted electoral defeat, this poll is said to be a tough battle in Gulbarga against Jadhav, who quit as rebel Congress MLA and joined BJP.
In Belgaum, where Congress is hit by dissidence with rebel MLA Ramesh Jarkiholi hinting about quitting the grand old party, 58.72 per cent polling was registered till 5 PM.
Jarkiholi, against whom the Congress has moved a disqualification petition to the Speaker,according to reports, had asked his followers to favour BJP during the polls.
He had also stayed away from campaigning and Rahul Gandhi's events in the district recently.
Officials said Chikkodi recorded 64.59 per cent, Bagalkot 63.78per cent, Bidar 56.90, Koppal 60.66, in mine rich Bellary 61.83 per cent, Haveri 63.22 per cent, Dharwad 61.95 per cent and Davangere 66.38 per cent.
As many as 2,43,03,279 voters were eligible to choose from among 237 candidates in the fray in the second phase.
Among the 237 candidates, 227 are men and 10 women.
Belgaum, with 57, has the maximum number of candidates, while Raichur, with five, has the lowest in the second as well as the first phase.
In the first phase on April 18, 14 constituencies in the southern part of the state covering old Mysuru region and a couple of coastal districts had gone to the polls, recording an overall voter turnout of 68.81 per cent.
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4 children test HIV positive in MP govt hospital; contaminated blood transfusion suspected
Satna/Bhopal (PTI): Four children suffering from thalassemia have tested HIV positive at Satna District Hospital in Madhya Pradesh allegedly due to contaminated blood transfusions, officials said on Tuesday.
The case is four months old and an investigation is underway into it, an official said.
Officials suspect the use of contaminated needles or blood transfusions for the spread of infection to the children.
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MP Health Minister Rajendra Shukla told reporters in Bhopal that he has ordered a probe into the matter and sought a report.
“It is also being investigated whether the blood transfusion took place in other hospitals also or only in the government hospital,” he said.
The affected children, aged between 12 and 15 years, received blood transfusions from the hospital's blood bank, as per an official.
Devendra Patel, in-charge of the blood bank at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel District Hospital in Satna, said four children have tested HIV positive and an investigation is underway to determine how they got infected.
"Either an infected needle was used or a blood transfusion occurred. These are the two main reasons I believe. Blood transfusion seems to be the most likely cause," he told PTI Videos.
All these children suffer from thalassemia, and some have received 80 or 100 blood transfusions, he said.
A family member of one of the affected children said that their child was found to be HIV positive during a routine checkup about four months back, and he has been receiving medication, but it had proven to be of no use.
After taking the medication for HIV, the child starts vomiting, feels low and becomes ill, he said.
After the four children were detected with HIV infection, their family members were also tested and the results came out negative, he added.
The Opposition Congress targeted the government over the matter and demanded the resignation of Health Minister Shukla.
Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Congress MLA and former minister Sachin Yadav claimed such incidents were continuously occurring in Madhya Pradesh.
Earlier, a case of toxic cough syrup came to light in Chhindwara, followed by incidents of rat bites at hospitals in Indore and Satna, and now children have been given HIV-infected blood, he said.
"The health minister is unable to manage the department. He should resign. A murder case should be filed against those responsible for the Satna incident," Yadav said.
Senior Congress leader Sajjan Singh Verma termed it a failure of the government. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government has no connection with ground realities, he charged.
"Somewhere rats are roaming in hospitals, somewhere children are being given HIV-infected blood. Instead of preventing HIV, you are spreading it. Mohan Yadav should wake up from his slumber. Children are the nation's heritage and should be taken care of," he added.
