Cong high command will decide by-poll candidates: CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Amid hectic lobbying, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said the selection of candidates for the April 9 assembly bypolls to Bagalkote and Davanagere Assembly constituencies will be decided by the Congress high command, with consultations underway based on ground reports.
He said a team has already visited both constituencies and a final call will be taken after discussions with senior leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar and Congress general secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala.
“Whether it is Bagalkote or Davanagere, that is a decision to be taken by the high command. Randeep Singh Surjewala is coming to Karnataka on Friday… A team visited Davanagere yesterday and also went to Bagalkote. They will submit a report. Based on that report, I will discuss with Shivakumar and speak to Surjewala before sending my recommendation,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.
Addressing the internal contest for tickets, particularly in Bagalkote, the CM said multiple aspirants from the Meti family have been asked to remain united.
“Three members from the Meti family had sought the ticket—Mallikarjun, Umesh, and Mahadevi. I have told all three of them that whoever is given the ticket, all of you must work together in unity,” he said, adding that they have agreed to the proposal.
On reports of possible rebellion by one of the aspirants, Siddaramaiah downplayed the claims, saying, “I don’t know about that… They have agreed with me,” while clarifying that he had not asked them to hold any joint press conference.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar, who is also the Congress Karnataka unit president, indicated that consultations are ongoing and a report has been submitted to the party leadership. Referring to the situation in Davanagere, he said several aspirants, including family members, have staked claim.
“I have submitted a report. I have discussed with the Chief Minister… Around 80 family members were called for discussions today. Various aspirants have met me… I will submit my report to the high command, and a decision will be taken within a couple of days,” he told reporters in Delhi, noting that time is short with elections scheduled on April 9.
The bypolls were necessitated following the deaths of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, which resulted in vacancies in the Davanagere South and Bagalkote Assembly segments respectively.
The bypolls are likely to witness a keen contest, with the ruling Congress aiming to retain both constituencies while opposition parties prepare to mount a strong challenge.
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Man held for cheating IT official by posing as 'parrot astrologer'
Bengaluru (PTI): A 59-year-old man was arrested for allegedly duping an Income Tax department official by posing as a "parrot astrologer" and promising career growth and better life through rituals, police said on Wednesday.
With the arrest of the accused astrologer Shekar, police claimed to have recovered gold ornaments weighing 124 grams and silver articles weighing 796 grams, with a total value of Rs 20.60 lakh.
The matter came to light after the victim, who is a senior administrative officer in the Income Tax department, lodged a complaint at Bharatinagar police station here on March 5, police said.
According to police, in the complaint, the victim stated that while passing near Sri Circle, he was approached by a person claiming to practise parrot astrology. The accused called him over, claimed he could predict the future by looking at his face, and convinced him to perform a ritual.
Initially, the accused collected Rs 50,000 from the complainant. Later, he allegedly told the victim that an elaborate ritual was necessary for career promotion, transfer, and overall improvement in life, and threatened that failure to do so would bring misfortune, he alleged.
"Under this pretext, the accused took 194 grams of gold ornaments and 1.3 kg of silver articles from the complainant, assuring they would be returned after the ritual," police said.
When the complainant later demanded the return of the valuables, the accused allegedly threatened him, they said.
During the investigation, police gathered credible information and apprehended the accused near Cantonment Railway Station on March 12 and upon interrogation, he confessed to committing the offence with the intention of making quick money, a senior police officer said.
He was produced before a court on March 13 and taken into police custody for five days.
During sustained questioning, the accused revealed that he had sold the stolen gold and silver items at a jewellery shop in Halasuru. Based on his information, police recovered 124 grams of gold ornaments and 796 grams of silver articles from the shop on March 15, valued at Rs 20.60 lakh, the officer said.
The accused was again produced before the court on March 17 and was remanded to judicial custody, he added.
