JD(S) to suffer setback in up to 25 'winnable seats' due to funds crunch, admits HD Kumaraswamy
Bidadi (K'taka), May 10: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said that his party is expected to take a "hit" in up to 25 Assembly segments, where it had chances of winning, due to financial crunch, in the Karnataka elections held on Wednesday.
Despite financial constraints, his party will be ahead of Congress and BJP in terms of winning the number of seats, the former Chief Minister claimed, as he asserted that his party will be 'King' and not just the 'King maker'.
"What has pained me is that I have not been able to financially support several of my candidates. My expectation was that I might get public support in terms of funds, I have taken a hit to an extent. At several constituencies which had winnable candidates like in Chikkaballapura and Doddaballapura, I have failed in financially supporting the candidates at the final stages," Kumaraswamy said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said because of shortage of funds, in about 20-25 constituencies where he has expectations of winning, there is a setback.
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"Some constituencies have taken a good sum of money from party funds and in some winnable seats I have not been able to give enough funds and it has caused a hit. I have not been able to support them as per expectation, as the party did not get donations as expected," he said.
Further requesting the party workers not to develop a "wrong impression" on candidates, Kumaraswamy said, "I have let down candidates, it is my mistake. In about 50-60 seats where our candidates were giving a good fight, I have not been able to give funds as per expectations."
Despite all this and amid a sense that this election is "indispensable" for JD(S), he said, "I had expected more than 120 seats..... but we will still be ahead of Congress and BJP, despite financial constraints."
Asked about the scenario of the hung assembly and JD(S)' role then, Kumaraswamy said, "Let's see, I will discuss when such a situation comes."
To a question, will JD(S) emerge as a king maker in this election, he said, "Not only king maker, our party is going to be a king, let us see.
In the previous Assembly elections in 2018, JD(S) won 37 out of the total 224 seats.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
