Congress will lose in Karnataka due to anti-RSS propaganda, says CM Bommai
Hubballi, Jun 5: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the anti-RSS propaganda resulted in the Congress losing its grounds elsewhere and the same will happen in the state as well.
"Former chief minister Siddaramaiah and the Congress leaders were always against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), so they speak against the outfit but people are well aware of the RSS. Their (Congress') anti-RSS propaganda led to their losing grounds everywhere and the same will happen in Karnataka as well," Bommai told reporters.
The Chief Minister said the RSS has been promoting patriotism and doing public service for the past 75 years.
Stating that the RSS has done good work in different parts of the country, Bommai said the outfit always rushed to help people in trouble during calamities.
Targeting the RSS a week ago, senior Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah had questioned whether those who belonged to the outfit were "native Indians", "Dravidians" or "Aryans". The statement drew sharp criticism from the BJP leaders.
To a query on the possibility of cross-voting during the biennial elections to the four seats of Rajya Sabha, Bommai said, "Let us wait for June 10 (the election polling date)."
The BJP has fielded three candidates -- Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Kannada film actor-turned-politician Jaggesh and Lahar Singh Siroya.
While the BJP is sure to win two seats given its numbers in the Karnataka assembly, it is taking a chance to win the third seat for which the Congress and the JD(S) too have fielded their candidates. The tussle for the third seat has led to a speculation about cross-voting.
Regarding the controversy around the textbook review committee, Bommai charged that there is politics happening with regard to the textbook revision. State Primary and Secondary Education Minister B C Nagesh will answer them, he added.
The Karnataka government dissolved the textbook revision committee headed by Rohith Chakrathirtha after its chairman was caught up in controversy.
The government also faced the ire of intellectuals who accused it of saffronising textbooks.
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Assam records nearly 18 pc voter turnout in first two hours of assembly polls
Guwahati (PTI): A voter turnout of 17.87 per cent was recorded in the first two hours of the assembly elections in Assam, where the BJP-led NDA is seeking a third consecutive term in power, while the Congress is striving to reclaim a state it lost a decade ago.
Polling began at 7 am for the 126-member assembly, and 17.87 per cent of the state's 2.5 crore voters exercised their franchise till 9 am, officials said.
A total of 722 candidates are in the fray for the elections, which is largely witnessing a direct contest between the BJP-led ruling coalition and the opposition bloc helmed by the Congress.
The river island of Majuli recorded the highest turnout in the first two hours at 20.03 per cent, while Tamulpur in the Bodoland Territorial Region witnessed the lowest at 15.32 per cent.
Voters began queuing outside polling booths since early morning, despite rain in many parts of the state.
Prominent candidates who have cast their votes so far include Leader of the Opposition Debabrata Saikia in Nazira, Assam Jatiya Parishad president Lurinjyoti Gogoi in Khowang, and BJP's Pradyut Bordoloi.
Votes are being cast at 31,490 polling stations across the 35 districts of the state, with polling concluding at 5 pm.
Among the heavyweight candidates whose fates would be decided in this election are Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state Congress president Gaurav Gogoi, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal and Raijor Dal leader Akhil Gogoi.
The Congress has fielded the highest number of candidates at 99, followed by the BJP with 90. The AIUDF has 30 candidates, while NDA constituents Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodoland People's Front (BPF) are contesting 26 and 11 seats, respectively.
In the opposition bloc, Raijor Dal is contesting 13 seats, Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) 10, CPI(M) 3 and APHLC 2. Other parties in the fray include AAP (18), UPPL (18), TMC (22), JMM (16), besides 258 Independents.
Algapur-Katlicherra and Karimganj South have the highest number of candidates at 15 each, while nine constituencies -- Rangia, Jagiroad (SC), Hojai, Naduar, Jonai (ST), Doomdooma, Mahmora, Teok and Lakhipur -- have only two candidates each.
