Mysuru Dasara will be celebrated with grandeur this year: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru, Aug 12: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said it has been decided to celebrate "Nada Habba" (state festival) Mysuru Dasara with grandeur and in a meaningful way this year, in the wake of good rains in the state.
The Dasara festival will be held from October 3 to 12.
He was speaking to reporters after the high-level meeting on 'Nada Habba Mysuru Dasara – 2024' here today.
"Last year, It was not possible to celebrate the festival in a grand manner due to drought. This time there has been good rain across the state and almost all the reservoirs are full. In this background, it has been decided to celebrate Dasara as a festival of the people," Siddaramaiah said.
Last year, Rs 30 crore were given for Dasara celebrations, he said, adding this time necessary grants will be provided to celebrate it with grandeur.
He also directed that the tableaus participating in Dasara Jamboo Savari (a march of a dozen caparisoned elephants) should be more attractive, meaningful and diverse.
Noting that the Dasara celebrations will begin at Chamundi Hills in Mysuru on October 3 at 9.15 am, the CM said directions have been given to start the exhibition on the day of the Dasara inauguration, and departmental secretaries have been instructed to make arrangements of stalls on the inaugural day itself.
He said that the government's achievements and guarantee projects should be displayed in the stalls of all the departments in the exhibition.
According to tradition, after the 'Sharan Navaratri' festivities for 9 days, on the 10th day, Jumboo Savari will be held, the CM said that on the day of Jamboo Savari (October 12), puja will be performed to "Nandi Dhwaja" between 1.41 pm to 2.10 pm, and then the procession will begin with Puja from 4 pm.
Last year for the convenience of tourists, lighting arrangements — at the famed Mysuru palace and prominent buildings of the city —was extended by a week, he said, It has been decided to continue the lighting arrangements for 21 days this time, after Dasara.
A large number of "Tourist Mitra" and Home Guards will be deployed to assist the tourists. The police department has been instructed to make preparations so that there are no lapses in the parking and security systems, the CM further said.
"Cultural programmes, exhibitions, lighting, food fairs and other programmes should be organized in a very systematic and meaningful manner. Local artists should be given more opportunities as locals should be encouraged. Instructions have been given to organize events to give Dasara a new look," he added.
The Chief Minister also said that he has been authorized to decide on who will inaugurate the Dasara festival.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
