JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy files nomination for Channapatna Assembly bypoll
Bengaluru (PTI): JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy on Friday filed his nomination for the November 13 Assembly by-polls from Channapatna, a seat vacated by his father and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy after being elected to Lok Sabha, amid a show of strength along with alliance partner BJP.
The actor-turned-politician and NDA nominee was accompanied by wife Revathi, father Kumaraswamy, and BJP leaders -- former Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra.
Earlier, the 36-year-old along with family members including his grandfather -- JD(S) patriarch and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda -- visited a temple here.
After offering prayers at Kengal Anjaneya Swamy temple at Channapatna in the neighbouring Ramanagara district later, he held a massive road show accompanied by Kumaraswamy, Leader of Opposition in Assembly R Ashoka (BJP), Sadananda Gowda, Raghavendra, Mysuru BJP MP Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar, along with a host of BJP and JD(S) leaders, for which a large number of party workers and supporters had turned up.
Ahead of filing his papers, the JD(S) youth wing president said fielding him as the candidate was an "unexpected development" for him, but leaders and workers of BJP and JD(S) showed confidence in him and have chosen him.
"The leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the relationship that Deve Gowda and Kumaraswamy have developed with the people of the region over the years and the work they have done here will bless me," Nikhil said.
Kumaraswamy said: "This is not Nikhil Kumaraswamy's election. The Congress that is trying to disturb things in the country...when Narendra Modi is the Prime Minister... BJP-JD(S) by winning all the three segments in Karnataka, will put an end to the Congress' politics of conspiracy."
If any development has happened in Channapatna it was during the tenure of BJP and JD(S) in power, the Union Minister said, as he hit out at Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar questioning as to what they have done for the constituency "other than making speeches."
Nikhil is pitted against Congress' C P Yogeeshwara, a five-time Channapatna MLA, former Minister and a political heavyweight in the constituency, who switched sides from the BJP on Monday.
Kumaraswamy had won the Channapatna seat in the 2023 Assembly elections polling 96,592 votes against Yogeeshwara (then in BJP), who got 80,677 votes.
Nikhil's mother Anitha Kumaraswamy, a former MLA, had unsuccessfully contested from the seat in 2013 when she lost to Yogeeshwara.
With Yogeeshwara joining Congress to contest the Channapatna bypoll, pressure was mounting on Kumaraswamy from party workers and leaders to field Nikhil.
It is said that Kumaraswamy was in a dilemma, as Nikhil was not keen on contesting but buckled under pressure from party workers. Nikhil had said he was in favour of the party fielding a local JD(S) worker or a leader as candidate.
This is the third electoral battle for Nikhil. He had unsuccessfully contested the 2023 Assembly from Ramanagara, which had propelled Deve Gowda to the post of Chief Minister, and was also represented by both his parents.
He had a disastrous electoral debut when he lost to BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh in the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 polls.
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Ordinance issued to increase number of Supreme Court judges from 34 to 38
New Delhi (PTI): The government has promulgated an ordinance to increase the strength of the Supreme Court from the present 34 judges to 38, including the Chief Justice of India.
The law ministry notified the ordinance on Saturday, which amended the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956, to increase the sanctioned strength of the top court.
So far, the sanctioned strength of the top court was 34, including the Chief Justice of India (CJI). Now, the number of judges has been increased by four, taking the sanctioned strength to 38.
The top court will now have 37 judges, other than the CJI.
With the apex court having two vacancies at present, and the ordinance coming into force immediately, the Supreme Court Collegium will now have to recommend six names for appointment as judges in the top court.
A bill will be brought in the Monsoon Session of Parliament to convert the ordinance – an executive order – into a law passed by Parliament.
The Union Cabinet had cleared a draft bill on May 5 to increase the number of apex court judges.
The strength of the Supreme Court was last increased from 30 to 33 (excluding the CJI) in 2019.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, as originally enacted in 1956, put the maximum number of judges (excluding the CJI) at 10.
This number was increased to 13 by the Supreme Court (Number of Judges), Amendment Act, 1960, and to 17 by another amendment to the law.
The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Act, 1986, augmented the strength of judges from 17 to 25, excluding the CJI.
A fresh amendment in 2009 further increased the strength from 25 to 30.
Article 124(3) of the Constitution lists the qualifications required to become a Supreme Court judge.
An Indian citizen who has either served as a high court judge for at least five years, or as an advocate for 10 years, or is a distinguished jurist, can be appointed to the top court.
The strength of the Supreme Court is increased based on the recommendations of the CJI, who writes to the Union law minister. After consulting the finance ministry, the Department of Justice under the law ministry moves the Cabinet with a draft bill.
