CM Bommai discusses with Shah over phone list of likely candidates for RS, Legislative Council polls
New Delhi(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said he discussed with Union Home Minister Amit Shah over phone the list of probable candidates for Rajya Sabha seats from the state and for the Legislative Council.
Bommai, who is in the national capital for the second time in less than 10 days, also said he had a detailed discussion on the list of candidates with the party's in-charge for Karnataka Arun Singh.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Singh, the Karnataka chief minister said he could have a word with Shah over phone only last night due to the home minister's urgent engagement and that an elaborate meeting with Singh today was held on Shah's advice.
"I came to Delhi yesterday evening. I had plans to meet Amit Shah ji. Due to his urgent engagement, I could talk to him over the phone only last night. I discussed in detail and shared with him the list of probable candidates for Rajya Sabha seats from the state and for the Legislative Council polls," he said.
The chief minister said he met Singh and updated him about the decision taken during the party's core committee meeting. "Singh has conveyed he will soon finalise the list," he added.
The chief minister also said there was no discussion, either with Shah or with Singh, on his government's cabinet expansion or reshuffle. Meanwhile, Bommai also mentioned that he will review the heavy rain situation in the state after he returns to Bengaluru today.
Biennial elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka and two each to graduates' and teachers' constituencies of the state Legislative Council will be held on June 10 and 13 respectively.
Biennial elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council will be held on June 3.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
