FIR lodged against JD(S) Rajya Sabha candidate for 'threatening' Congress MLAs during poll
Bengaluru, Feb 27: An FIR has been registered against the JD(S) leader contesting the Rajya Sabha elections in Karnataka, D Kupendra Reddy, and his aides at the Vidhana Soudha police station in Bengaluru, former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy said on Tuesday.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too confirmed that an FIR has been registered for "threatening" the Congress MLAs in connection with the Rajya Sabha elections.
"The Congress leaders not only spoke about allurement and threat to their MLAs time and again but also registered an FIR against Kupendra Reddy and his aides," the JD(S) second-in-command told reporters here.
Kumaraswamy said the complainant MLA did not say that he was lured, but that some other MLAs were "approached".
"Melukote MLA Darshan Puttannaiah of Karnataka Sarvodaya Paksha too had said that it's true that his vote was sought but no one had lured him," the JD(S) state chief claimed.
ALSO READ: Voting underway for four RS seats in Karnataka as Congress eyes rival camp support
Kumaraswamy also said the BJP and JD(S) had decided that the votes of its 19 JD(S) MLAs and the additional BJP votes after its first preferential votes would go to Kupendra Reddy.
Siddaramaiah slammed the Janata Dal (Secular) for allegedly trying to lure Congress legislators to get its candidate Kupendra Reddy elected.
"JDS needs 45 votes (for their candidate) to win. Do they have that many votes? Even though they don't have enough votes, they still fielded the candidate and are luring our MLAs. Do they have a conscience?" the chief minister asked rhetorically, posting on social media platform X.
"An FIR has been lodged regarding the threat to us. Our three candidates will win. There is no doubt about this," Siddaramaiah insisted, without elaborating who, the FIR is against and where it has been registered.
Speaking to reporters at Vidhana Soudha here, Siddaramaiah slammed the minor partner in the opposition alliance, saying, "When JD(S) does not have atma' (soul), how can it have atma sakshi' (conscience)? They call themselves Janata Dal (Secular) but whom did they join with?"
He was referring to the JD(S) forming an alliance with the BJP.
The chief minister did not rule out the possibility of gaining votes from the rival camp saying the good works of his government may draw votes from the other side.
On the JD(S) allegations that the Congress had approached its party MLAs, Siddaramaiah said when the Congress has sufficient number of MLAs, there is no need to lure legislators from the opposition.
Voting is underway for four Rajya Sabha seats in Karnataka. The ruling Congress has fielded former union minister and Congress treasurer Ajay Maken and sitting Rajya Sabha members G C Chandrashekhar and Syed Naseer Hussain.
The BJP has fielded Narayansa Bhandage and also JD(S) leader Kupendra Reddy as the NDA candidate.
The Congress has 133 MLAs, excluding the Speaker, while the BJP and JD(S) have 66 and 19 legislators respectively, in the 223-member House. Others account for four. However, one Congress MLA died on Sunday.
ಜೆಡಿಎಸ್ ಗೆ ಗೆಲ್ಲಲು 45 ಮತಗಳ ಅಗತ್ಯವಿದೆ. ಅಷ್ಟು ಸಂಖ್ಯೆಯ ಮತಗಳು ಅವರ ಬಳಿ ಇದೆಯೇ? ಮತವಿಲ್ಲದಿದ್ದರೂ ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಯನ್ನು ನಿಲ್ಲಿಸಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಶಾಸಕರಿಗೆ ಆಮಿಷಗಳನ್ನು ಒಡ್ಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದಾರೆ. ಅವರಿಗೆ ಆತ್ಮಸಾಕ್ಷಿ ಇದೆಯೇ?
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) February 27, 2024
ನಮ್ಮವರಿಗೆ ಬೆದರಿಕೆ ಹಾಕಿರುವುದಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದಂತೆ ಎಫ್.ಐ.ಆರ್ ಹಾಕಲಾಗಿದೆ. ನಮ್ಮ ಮೂವರು ಅಭ್ಯರ್ಥಿಗಳು…
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Delhi records high of 32.7 deg C; AQI remains 'moderate'
New Delhi (PTI): The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the average for the season, while the relative humidity stood at 46 per cent at 5.30 pm, the IMD said.
The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Monday with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 34 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The air quality remained 'moderate' at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 134, a slight drop from Saturday’s 137, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
