Bengaluru, Jan 26: Registering a surge in numbers again, Karnataka on Wednesday reported 48,905 new cases of COVID-19 and 39 fatalities, taking the tally to 36,54,413, and death toll to 38,705.

The state on Tuesday had reported a dip in daily cases at 41,400.

There were 41,699 discharges, taking the total number of recoveries to 32,57,769, a bulletin said.

Of the new cases, 22,427 were from Bengaluru Urban that saw 18,734 people being discharged and 8 virus-related deaths.

The total number of active cases across the state is now at 3,57,909.

While the positivity rate for the day stood at 22.51 per cent, the case fatality rate (CFR) was 0.07 per cent.

Of the 39 deaths, 8 are from Bengaluru Urban, Dakshina Kannada and Hassan (4), Mysuru (3), Chikkaballapura, Kalaburagi, Mandya, Ramanagara and Uttara Kannada (2), followed by others.

Apart from Bengaluru Urban, Mysuru recorded the second highest with 2,797 new cases followed by Tumakuru 2,645, Mandya 2,186, and Hassan 2,016.

Bengaluru Urban district now has a total of 16,48,758 cases, Mysuru 2,11,426 and Tumakuru 1,48,223.

According to the bulletin, Bengaluru Urban tops the list among discharges with 14,16,078, followed by Mysuru 1,92,638 and Tumakuru 1,32,026.

Cumulatively, a total of 6,10,68,141 samples have been tested, of which 2,17,230 were on Wednesday alone.

To view today's health bulletin: CLICK HERE

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.



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.