I am a strong ticket aspirant for Channapatna bypolls, says BJP MLC CP Yogeeshwara
Bengaluru, Aug 12: BJP MLC C P Yogeeshwara on Monday said he was a strong ticket aspirant for Channapatna Assembly bypolls and expressed hope that his party leadership along with alliance partner JD(S) will field him as their joint candidate.
He said in case he fails to get a ticket, he will contest as an independent, and wants to be back in the NDA fold later.
The JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year, and the two parties contested the recent Lok Sabha polls in an alliance.
Channapatna bypoll is necessitated as the seat fell vacant following the election of its representative -- JD(S) leader and now Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy -- to Lok Sabha.
The byelection schedule is yet to be announced by the Election Commission.
"I'm also a strong aspirant for the Channapatna bypolls. Kumaraswamy and I have been traditional rivals politically", he told reporters here, noting that he was JD(S) leader's "closest opponent" in the 2023 Assembly polls. "There have been 10,000-15,000 votes difference in every election, so it's my claim that the seat vacated by him should be given to me."
Kumaraswamy's actor-turned-politician son Nikhil Kumaraswamy's name is also doing the rounds. Nikhil had lost the 2023 Assembly polls from neighbouring Ramanagara Assembly segment.
Kumaraswamy had won the Channapatna seat in 2018 and 2023. Before that Yogeeshwara had represented the seat from BJP and Samajwadi Party. He had earlier also represented the seat both as an independent and from the Congress.
Indications are that either Shivakumar or his brother D K Suresh, a former Congress MP who lost from Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment, may be fielded in Channapatna.
BJP central leadership has reportedly asked Yogeeshwara to come to New Delhi.
Yogeeshwara said he is confident that Kumaraswamy will agree to give him the ticket.
"With a lot of confidence, our party leadership has made him the central Minister. In case I had not cooperated for the alliance (with JD(S)) ....it is me who first pitched for the alliance, both of us have to come together. I don't know how Kumaraswamy has taken it, but I had internally worked for the alliance, which bore fruit and he (Kumaraswamy) too has benefitted from it," he said.
Yogeeshwara said he was very clear that people of the taluk have faith in him and would ensure his victory under any symbol.
"Earlier too when the parties did not give me the ticket, people of the taluk held my hand. So, like-minded, non-political people in the taluk have formed a forum and are asking me to contest. I will go to Delhi, meet our leadership. I have positive indications from state and central leaders, let's see, Kumaraswamy may change his mind. If he agrees, good, if not let's see the road ahead," he added.
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41 lakh illicit liquor seized, 1.84 lakh arrested in major drive: K'taka Minister tells Assembly
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): The Karnataka Excise Department has conducted a statewide crackdown on illegal liquor trade over the last two years, resulting in arrests and seizures of alcohol, Karnataka Excise Minister R B Timmapur said on Tuesday.
As many as 1,09,017 people were arrested, and seizures included 13.66 lakh litres of liquor and 27.19 lakh litres of beer, he said in a written reply to a starred question by Harihar BJP MLA B P Harish in the Karnataka Assembly.
The Minister said the enforcement drive covered the financial year 2023–24, 2024–25 up to June, and 2025–26 from July to October, targeting unauthorised liquor manufacture, storage, sale and transportation across the State.
"During this period, statewide enforcement drives resulted in a total of 1,84,570 raids against illegal liquor sales,” Timmapur said.
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He noted that 9,179 non-bailable cases and 91,968 bailable and compoundable cases under Section 15(A) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, were registered during the same period.
According to him, there have been no reports indicating that students have become addicted to alcohol due to illegal liquor sales.
The sale of alcohol to minors is strictly prohibited under the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, and the department has issued periodic instructions to initiate legal action against violators, with strict enforcement and investigation measures in place, the Minister said.
Excise officials are carrying out regular road and night patrols, collecting intelligence, monitoring habitual offenders and conducting raids to identify illicit distillation units, unauthorised liquor outlets and spurious liquor manufacturing centres, he said, adding the department is also enforcing the law to prevent the production, storage, sale and transport of spurious, non-duty-paid and unauthorised liquor.
Regular patrols are being conducted on national and state highways, with suspicious vehicles being subjected to checks.
At the district level, standing committee meetings are held under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioners, and joint operations are carried out with the police and forest departments to curb excise-related offences.
The department is also conducting awareness programmes through Gram Sabhas and in schools and colleges to educate the public and students about the physical, mental and social health hazards associated with alcohol addiction and substance abuse, Timmapur added.
