CM Bommai says BJP's Karnataka unit focusing on RS, MLC elections
Hubballi (K'taka)(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the BJP is focusing on the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections and held a core committee meeting in this regard.
He also said the cabinet expansion will also be taken up following instructions from the party high command.
"We are currently preparing for the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections. Yesterday itself, we had a core committee meeting in this regard. Seniors are monitoring it," Bommai told reporters on arriving in Hubballi.
Biennial elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka and two graduates' and teachers' constituencies each of the state Legislative Council will be held on June 10 and 13, respectively.
Also, biennial elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council for seven seats will be held on June 3.
The Chief Minister said during his visit to Delhi he had said that after the Supreme Court verdict on holding elections to local bodies, many governments may declare polls and several decisions are likely to be taken in this regard.
The reply was in reference to local body elections in some places, including Bengaluru civic body, which may be announced soon.
Regarding the state cabinet expansion, Bommai said he will once again contact the party high command over phone and based on the instruction, a cabinet reshuffle may be taken up.
There are five ministerial posts against the 34 sanctioned posts that are lying vacant in Karnataka and many ruling BJP legislators are aspiring to become ministers, BJP sources said.
To a query on reports that former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's son and BJP state vice president B Y Vijayendra may make an entry to the legislative council and become a minister, he said everything is left to the party high command.
Regarding Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar meeting JD(S) MLA from Chamundeshwari constituency G T Deve Gowda to gain foothold in the old Mysuru region, the Chief Minister said many changes take place in politics.
To a question on opposition parties charging him as being a weak chief minister, Bommai said, "It's only you (journalists) who say this. We resolved the hijab issue, azaan issue and halal issue in a harmonious way. The azaan case was also resolved based on the Supreme Court guidelines. The hijab case was also resolved as per the court directions."
"We were able to solve disputes within the framework of law and as per the Supreme Court guidelines. We performed our duty in a perfect way," the Chief Minister said.
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TMC worker shot dead in Bengal's Malda, two other party men injured
Malda (PTI): In less than a fortnight after a senior Trinamool Congress councillor was murdered in West Bengal's Malda district, a TMC worker was killed and two other party members were injured in a shootout incident in broad daylight in the same region on Tuesday, police said.
Like in the previous incident, police suspected that Tuesday's shootout was also a fallout of the party's infighting.
The deceased was identified as Ataul Haque alias Hasu Sheikh and the two injured are Bakul Sheikh, a TMC local committee president, and Esaruddin Sheikh, a senior officer said.
The incident took place in Kaliaganj area in the morning when the TMC local committee president along with party workers went to a function to inaugurate a road, an officer said.
"One of the party workers who were shot at was declared dead by doctors at the Malda Medical College and Hospital. Two others are undergoing treatment there, and their condition was stated to be critical," he said.
"We are questioning people and witnesses. So far, we have not arrested anyone in this matter," the police officer told PTI.
TMC councillor in Malda Dulal Sarkar was killed on January 2, and seven people have been arrested in this connection.
