7 candidates elected 'unopposed' to Karnataka Legislative Council, BJP gains majority in House
Bengaluru, May 27: All the seven candidates in the fray for the biennial election to Karnataka Legislative Council, slated to be elected by the Members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs), were on Friday declared as elected "unopposed".
The declaration paved the way for the BJP to gain a majority in the Upper House as four out of the seven new members are from the ruling party, two from Congress and JD(S) one.
The polls for seven seats were scheduled to be held on June 3, but on Friday, the last day to withdraw nominations, only seven candidates were in the fray and all of them were declared elected "unopposed", the Returning Officer for MLC polls and Secretary, Karnataka Legislative Assembly, M K Vishalakshi said.
The seven candidates declared elected include BJP's vice-president and former deputy chief minister Laxman Savadi, party's state secretaries Hemalatha Nayak and S Keshavaprasad, and President of SC Morcha Chalavadi Narayanaswamy.
Congress' M Nagaraju Yadav, former chairman of Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and K Abdul Jabbar, the President of KPCC's minority cell and a former MLC; and JD(S)' T A Saravana, a former MLC, were elected in the other three seats.
The election was necessitated as the term of office of seven members expires on June 14.
The seats will be falling vacant due to the retirement of MLCs -- Laxman Savadi and Lahar Singh Siroya of BJP; Ramappa Timmapur, Allum Veerabhadrappa, Veena Achaiah S of Congress; and H M Ramesha Gowda and Narayana Swamy K V of JD(S).
According to official sources, in case election was to be held, each MLC candidate would require a minimum of 29 votes to win. Based on the strength of each party in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP can win four seats, Congress two, and JD(S) one.
With the election of four BJP candidates, the ruling party will now have a majority in the Legislative Council until June 15, as numbers may alter thereafter, because results will be declared that day for June 13 polls to four MLC seats -- two teachers' and two graduates' constituencies.
Before the election outcome for seven seats was declared, the BJP had 37 members in the 75-member upper house, where it is just one short of a simple majority.
While the Congress had a strength of 26 members, the JD(S) had 10 members. There is also one independent member other than the Chairman.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka govt seeks agency to manage rural drinking water units: Minister
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Wednesday said the state government is working to appoint an agency to manage clean drinking water units in rural areas.
The state Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister was responding to a question by Hirekerur MLA U B Banakar in the legislative assembly.
"In the rural areas of the state, many clean drinking water units have been set up under corporate social responsibility (CSR) grants, including contributions by MLAs and MPs, and handed over to gram panchayats. After the maintenance period, problems have arisen in keeping these units operational," Priyank said.
He added that a proposal has been made to award a maintenance contract to one of the country’s reputed drinking water unit manufacturing companies, but so far, no companies have come forward to take up the work.
ALSO READ: Woman threatens to end life as police official refuses to accept love proposal, FIR registered
"The government is continuing its efforts and will resolve this problem soon," he said.
On a query regarding fluoride content in water, the minister said water quality testing is being conducted monthly in all zilla panchayats.
"Laboratories have been opened for this purpose. Around 6.5 lakh water samples have been tested across the state, and water testing kits have been provided to villages," he added.
