Karnataka Deputy CM Ashwath Narayan hints at phased unlock after June 7
Bengaluru, Jun 1: Amid speculation about extension of the lockdown, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister C N Ashwath Narayan on Tuesday said it is a "guarantee" that the state will start the unlock process after June 7, as he hinted that it will be phased lifting of curbs.
The state is currently under lockdown till June 7, and there were speculations about it being extended.
"Let's see, whether unlocking should be done at once or in a phased manner is the question. Unlock is guarantee, after June 7...how to do it is the question, there are no plans of doing it at once, it may be in a phased manner," Narayan said in response to a question on the future of lockdown in the current situation.
Speaking to reporters here, he said the government is gathering opinion from experts and others and a decision will be taken after considering all aspects.
However, Health Minister K Sudhakar too, while hinting about phased unlocking, said that the state's COVID-19 Technical Advisory Committee has suggested that the strict restrictions can be relaxed once daily cases come down below 5,000 mark.
"They (TAC) have said the (positivity) rate has to come below 5 per cent and number of cases (fresh) should be below 5,000, only then the restrictions can be relaxed and until then the strict measures that are in place should be continued," he said.
The Health Minister said that he has submitted the TAC's report to the Chief Minister and discussed it.
"The CM has said that whenever we go for unlocking, it should also be in a staggered manner."
"If unlocking is done it should be in a phased manner and it cannot be done at once, because the decline is not to the level of our expectations or to that of the TAC, though cases have come down, it is still not below 5 per cent. In several districts as the numbers are still a bit more, we will have to be cautious," he added.
The Karnataka government had initially announced 14 days "closedown" from April 27, but subsequently imposed a complete lockdown from May 10 to May 24, as the COVID cases continued to spike.
Citing lockdown yielding results and experts advice, it was further extended till June 7.
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Kerala polls: ‘People rejected 10 years of misrule’, says AICC gen secy
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal on Monday said the Congress-led UDF’s sweeping victory in the Kerala Assembly polls was a clear verdict against the “arrogance”, corruption, and nepotism of the CPI(M)-led LDF government headed by CM Pinarayi Vijayan.
Addressing a press conference as counting of votes for all 140 Assembly constituencies neared completion, Venugopal said the outcome reflected public anger against what he termed “10 years of misrule” by the Left government.
He claimed that Vijayan’s victory in his home constituency, Dharmadam, was “only technical”, alleging that the CM trailed the UDF candidate in the initial rounds of counting and failed to secure a majority in his own village.
“He just escaped. He suffered a setback even in his home turf. He was the only person who did not realise the people’s mood in this election,” Venugopal said.
Alleging that the CPI(M) and the LDF had resorted to “communal and opportunistic politics”, he further claimed that the ruling front had entered into a “secret understanding” with the BJP in a bid to retain power for a third consecutive term.
He said that when a government driven by power and arrogance attempts to align with anyone to stay in office, even its own cadre turns against it.
Referring to the results, Venugopal said that while the UDF expected rebel CPI(M) leaders, including K Kunhikrishnan in Payyannur, to impact the vote share, their victories came as a surprise.
Describing the UDF’s performance as a “historic victory”, he attributed it to coordinated teamwork, grassroots mobilisation, and the dedication of party workers, adding that the alliance accepted the mandate “with humility”.
Venugopal also credited Rahul Gandhi’s campaign guarantees, calling them a “trump card” that helped voters focus on real issues and reject what he described as the LDF’s “false narratives”.
He claimed that the Congress witnessed one of its lowest levels of rebellion in this election, which contributed to the alliance’s strong performance.
The senior Congress leader further alleged that the BJP managed to win two seats with the help of the CPI(M), and asserted that forces attempting to divide society on communal lines should “learn a lesson” from Kerala’s verdict.
“This is the real Kerala story,” he said.
On the question of the next Chief Minister, Venugopal said the party leadership would decide at the earliest after due consultations.
The counting of votes began on Monday morning for all 140 Assembly constituencies in Kerala, where the Congress-led UDF secured a decisive majority, defeating the CPI(M)-led LDF, which was seeking an unprecedented third consecutive term in office.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) posts, "Thank you to my brothers and sisters in Keralam for a truly decisive mandate. Congratulations to every UDF leader and worker for a hard-fought, well-run campaign. As I said before, Keralam has the talent, Keralam has the potential… pic.twitter.com/6T4IZbEmp4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 4, 2026
