Dinesh Gundu Rao criticizes central govt for denying rice supply to state, calls it cruel
Bengaluru: Dinesh Gundu Rao, the Minister of Health and Family Welfare in Karnataka, has condemned the Central government's decision to withhold the supply of five kilograms of rice per family in the state, describing it as "cruel." In a tweet from his personal account on Tuesday, Rao expressed his disappointment and pledged that the state government would ensure rice is provided to the people, even without the support of the Central government.
Rao accused the Central government of selling rice to private companies through e-auctions at a price lower than the state government's offer. He stated that although Karnataka had proposed to provide rice at Rs 34 per kilogram to the Centre, it was now being sold to private parties through the Food Corporation of India (FCI) e-auction process for only Rs 31.75 per kilogram.
Rao questioned whether the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders in Karnataka were aware of the plight faced by the poor and urged them to speak up against this action. He criticized the Central government for not contributing its share of rice to support the welfare of the underprivileged.
Highlighting the state government's stance, Rao emphasized that Karnataka is determined to fight against such political tactics and acts of cruelty by the Central government. He mentioned that the state is already providing financial assistance in lieu of rice. Rao called on the BJP leaders, whom he accused of lacking an understanding of hunger, to demand the Central government to allocate its share of rice to Karnataka.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
K'taka bypolls: Bagalkot records 43.75 per cent turnout till 1 pm, 37.17 pc in Davanagere South
Bengaluru (PTI): At least 43.75 per cent of voters in Karnataka's Bagalkot, where polling for a by-election is underway, exercised their franchise by 1 pm on Thursday.
Davanagere South recorded a turnout of 37.17 per cent, the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office said.
The bypolls were necessitated due to the demise of senior Congress MLAs H Y Meti (Bagalkot) and Shamanur Shivashankarappa (Davanagere South).
While the ruling Congress faces the challenge of retaining both seats, the BJP is aiming to wrest them and deliver a setback to its rival, which is currently witnessing an "internal power struggle" over leadership.
A total of over 2.59 lakh eligible voters are expected to cast their votes at around 319 polling stations in Bagalkot, where nine candidates are in the fray.
In Davanagere South, over 2.31 lakh eligible voters are expected to vote across 284 polling stations, with 25 candidates contesting.
The BJP has fielded former MLA and 2023 defeated candidate Veerabhadrayya Charantimath from Bagalkot, and a fresh face, Srinivas T Dasakariyappa, from Davanagere South.
The Congress has given tickets to family members of the late legislators in both constituencies. Bagalkot candidate Umesh Meti is the son of H Y Meti, while Samarth Mallikarjun from Davanagere South is the grandson of Shamanur Shivashankarappa.
Samarth's father, S S Mallikarjun, is a minister in the Siddaramaiah-led Cabinet and in charge of Davanagere district, while his mother, Prabha Mallikarjun, is a Member of Parliament from the region.
The BJP is looking to make gains in the bypolls and energise its cadre ahead of the 2028 Assembly elections. For the Congress, retaining both seats is crucial, as a loss could be seen as a negative verdict on the performance of the Siddaramaiah-led government.
In the 2023 Assembly elections, H Y Meti defeated BJP's Charantimath by a margin of 5,878 votes in Bagalkot, while Shivashankarappa defeated BJP's B G Ajay Kumar by 27,888 votes in Davanagere South.
