Bengaluru, October 06: Former prime minister and JDS supremo H.D. Deve Gowda said that Congress-JDS alliance would face the by-election to three Lok Sabha and two Assembly segments.

Speaking to reporters at the party office here on Saturday, Deve Gowda said that “Ramanagar was our constituency where JDS will field its candidate and Congress would field its candidates in Bagalkot and Jamkhandi constituency”, he said.

“Regarding the three Lok Sabha constituencies like Shivamogga, Ballary and Mandya, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, Deputy Chief Minister Dr. G. Parameshwar and former chief minister Siddaramaiah would discuss and take a decision. We do not have any confusion. Both the parties would go together to face the by-elections”, he said.

JDS candidate would contest from Mandya Lok Sabha constituency. But the name was not yet finalized. The by-election to the Lok Sabha seats would not become a referendum to the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, he added.

He has not yet decided on campaigning for by-elections. The party leaders would take care of it. The JDS has given up the Vijayapura local body election to the Congress, he said.



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Mumbai (PTI): A court here on Friday denied bail to the driver of the BEST bus, which was involved in an accident that killed nine persons and left 42 others injured four months back, saying the offence was serious in nature.

This was the second time the court denied bail to accused driver Sanjay More.

His fresh bail application was rejected by additional sessions judge V G Raghuwanshi.

The bus, operated by the civic-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking, hit several vehicles and pedestrians after the driver lost control over the wheels on the S G Barve Marg in Kurla (West) around 9.30 pm on December 10.

Following the incident, the driver was arrested for offences committed under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).

More made a fresh application for bail after the police filed the fresh chargesheet, stating the investigation was complete.

The bail plea said his further incarceration was unwarranted and that he had been "falsely implicated" in the case.

The accused claimed that Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) section 110 (attempt to commit culpable homicide) is not attracted in this case as there was "no intention to cause harm".

His plea termed the accident as "unfortunate".

The driver was given only three days of training to operate an electric bus, in spite of the mandatory requirement of 15 days, it said.

The prosecution, however, contended that there was no mechanical fault in the bus.

More had driven an electric bus for 728 kilometres. Therefore, he cannot say that proper training was not imparted to him, the prosecution submitted.

It said the informant, who is a police officer, witnessed the incident and according to him the bus was "being driven in a rash and reckless manner". The prosecution further submitted that the applicant had no psychological problem nor was he intoxicated at the time of incident.

After hearing both sides, the court noted that the previous bail order recorded "reasons in details" and there was "no change in circumstances".

"The offence is very serious, in which nine persons were killed, several persons were injured and several vehicles were damaged. This is not a fit case to exercise discretion in favour of the applicant," it added.