Campaigning ends for Karnataka bypolls
Bengaluru: The high voltage campaigning for the November 3 bypolls to two assembly seats in Karnataka ended on Sunday.
The run-up to the bypolls in R R Nagar in the city and Sira in Tumakuru district, which has a total of 31 candidates in the fray, saw the ruling BJP, opposition Congress and JD(S) hurl charges at each other.
In R R Nagar, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had promised to make BJP candidate Munirathna a minister "after he wins the polls," which drew a sharp reaction from Congress, with its state chief D K Shivakumar alleging that it was a violation of the model code of conduct.
The Congress, which has fielded H Kusuma, wife of former IAS officer late D K Ravi in the seat traditionally held by the party, accused JD(S) of playing spoilsport.
The JD(S) has fielded V Krishnamurthy.
"We all know the Noora Kushti (friendly fight) going on between BJP and JD(S)," Congress MP D K Suresh said on October 31, a statement which drew flak from JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy.
In Sira, the BJP, Congress, and JD(S) have fielded radiologist Dr. Rakesh Gowda, former minister T B Jayachandra and former (JD-S) MLA B Satyanarayana's wife Ammajamma respectively.
Satyanarayana's death after a prolonged illness in August warranted the Sira bypoll.
The BJP has never won the election from there, but this time, the party would try to turn the tables on the Congress and the JD(S).
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's son and BJP state vice president B Y Vijayendra led the election campaign here.
During campaigning, the Chief Minister had said that the BJP had lost its deposit here but that the voters have made up their mind this time to give the saffron party a chance.
If that were to happen, it will be another dent in the JD(S) citadel.
BJP had already wrested the KR Pet assembly constituency in Mandya from JD(S), which was its stranglehold.
A year ago during the Lok Sabha election, a BJP backed independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh, a multilingual film actress, had won the election from Mandya defeating the JD(S) first family H D Deve Gowda's grandson and H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy.
The JD(S) and the Congress have left no stone unturned to prevent the BJP from making any gains here.
In the 224 RPT 224 seat assembly, BJP has 116 MLAs minus the Speaker, Congress 67 and JD(S) 33, BSP 1 and there are two independents.
There is also a nominated member.
Four seats are vacant, of which elections to R R Nagar and Sira, will take place on November 3.
Elections to Maski and Basava Kalyan, will be held later.
While the election in Maski is caught in a legal tangle, the Basava Kalyan seat fell vacant due to the death of Congress MLA B Narayan Rao.
The counting of votes for the bypolls will take place on November 10.
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CJI Surya Kant clarifies 'parasites' remarks, says 'pained' over media reports
New Delhi (PTI): Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Saturday issued a strongly worded clarification on his 'parasites' remarks, saying he was "pained" by media reports that suggested he criticised youth.
"I am pained to read how a section of the media has misquoted my oral observations made during the hearing of a frivolous case yesterday," the CJI said in a statement.
Kant emphasised that his remarks were specifically directed at individuals entering the legal profession through "fake and bogus degrees" and were "misquoted by a section of the media."
The clarification follows a controversy during a hearing on Friday, when the CJI used words like "parasites" and "cockroaches" while pulling up a lawyer for his plea seeking senior designation.
"What I had specifically criticised were those who have entered professions like the Bar (legal profession) with the aid of fake and bogus degrees. Similar persons have sneaked into the media, social media, and other noble professions as well, and hence, they are like parasites.
"It is totally baseless to suggest that I criticised the youth of our nation. Not only am I proud of our present and future human resource, but every youth of India inspires me. It is not an exaggeration to say that Indian youth have great regard and respect for me, and I too see them as the pillars of a developed India," the chief justice said about his remarks.
