Jan 18: 41,457 COVID-19 cases in Karnataka; 25,595 from Bengaluru Urban alone
Bengaluru, Jan 18: Active cases in Karnataka crossed 2.5 lakh on Tuesday as the State registered yet another spike logging 41,457 new cases of COVID-19, and 20 fatalities, taking the tally to 32,88,700 and the death toll to 38,465.
The state, which has been witnessing a steady surge in cases since the last week of December, had recorded 27,156 fresh infections on Monday, while it was 34,047 on Sunday.
Of the new cases today, 25,595 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 4,514 people being discharged and 7 deaths.
The total number of active cases across the state is now 2,50,381.
There were 8,353 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries to 29,99,825, a health department bulletin said.
While the positivity rate for the day stood at 22.30 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.04 per cent.
Of the 20 deaths, 7 are from Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru (3), Tumakuru (2), and one each from Bengaluru Rural, Chamarajnagara, Chitradurga, Davangere, Dharwad, Hassan, Ramanagara and Uttara Kannada.
Apart from Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru recorded the second highest of 1,848 new cases, Hassan 1,739, Tumakuru 1,731,Bengaluru Rural 1,116, and Dakshina Kannada 1,058.
Bengaluru Urban district now has a total of 14,58,349 positive cases, followed by Mysuru 1,90,462 and Tumakuru 1,29,765.
According to the bulletin, Bengaluru Urban tops the list among discharges with 12,63,555, followed by Mysuru 1,79,623 and Tumakuru 1,20,659.
Cumulatively, a total of 5,93,91,381 samples have been tested, of which 1,85,872 were on Tuesday alone.
To view today's health bulletin: CLICK HERE
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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.
