Karnataka HC rejects plea challenging election of CM Siddaramaiah from Varuna constituency
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has dismissed a petition challenging the election of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah from Varuna constituency in Mysuru district in 2023 on grounds that the Congress, with five guarantees in its manifesto, was trying to bribe the people of the state.
A single-judge bench of Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav passed the judgment on Tuesday afternoon.
The petitioner, K Shankara from Varuna constituency, had alleged that the Congress manifesto was announced with Siddaramaiah’s consent, adding that the guarantees aimed at gratifying the electorate of Varuna constituency in order to induce them to vote for the Congress.
Shankara further alleged that Siddaramaiah’s act amounted to corruption during the polls and urged the High Court to not only declare Siddaramaiah’s election void but also debar him from contesting elections for six years.
The petitioner’s lawyer, Pramila Nesargi, argued that the guarantee schemes discriminated against men, with free trips and financial assistance to women only, and violated the Article 14 of the Constitution, which lays stress on the right to equality. She too called the promises made in the Congress manifesto as ‘bribing the voters’ and asked the HC to cancel his election.
The Court had sought the CM’s response to the plea in July 2023.
Siddaramaiah’s advocate Ravivarma Kumar, who refuted the charges in court, called the petition a ‘copy-paste’ document and added that it was liable for dismissal as there was no evidence of the Congress attempting to lure voters with bribery through its manifesto.
Pointing out that the election of Shivajinagar MLA Rizwan Arshad had been challenged on similar grounds but dismissed by the HC in 2024, the CM’s advocate opined that the election of Siddaramaiah too was being challenged with identical pleadings.
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Dakshina Kannada Qazi declares Eid-Ul-Adha celebration on May 28
Bengaluru: The State Moon Sighting Committee has announced that Bakrid (Eid al-Adha) will be celebrated across Karnataka on May 28, as there were no confirmed reports of the sighting of the crescent moon marking the beginning of the month of Dhul Hijjah from any state in the country.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the committee held on Sunday evening at the office of the Karnataka State Waqf Board on Cunningham Road in Bengaluru.
Committee members said the announcement was made after gathering information regarding moon sighting from various districts of Karnataka as well as moon sighting committees in other states.
Dakshina Kannada Qazi Al-Haj Twaka Ahmed Musliar also made similar announcement adding that Eid-Ul-Adha will be celebrated on May 28 in Dakshina Kannada district.
