Karnataka Congress MLA Priyank Kharge tests COVID-19 positive
Bengaluru, Jan 15: Karnataka Congress MLA Priyank Kharge who had participated in the party's padayatra demanding implementation of Mekedatu project, on Saturday said, he tested positive for COVID-19.
"Missed Covid in the 1st wave, ducked it in the 2nd wave, even had a false positive once. After several negative tests, I have now tested positive for Covid. Thankfully all my staff members have tested -ve. Request anyone who was in touch with me to get tested as per norms," Kharge tweeted.
Earlier several other Congress leaders including Priyank's father and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, and former Union minister Veerappa Moily who had participated in the inaugural of the padayatra on January 9 had tested COVID-19 positive.
H M Revanna and Shivashankar Reddy are among the other party leaders who participated in the march to have been infected by the virus.
With limited options before it, amid surging COVID cases, the government prohibiting movement, and High Court observations, the Karnataka Congress on Thursday had temporarily halted its padayatra from Mekedatu to Bengaluru on its fifth day.
Meanwhile, Minister of Small Scale Industries and Municipal Administration M T B Nagaraj too said he has tested COVID positive.
Missed #Covid in the 1st wave, ducked it in the 2nd wave, even had a false positive once.
— Priyank Kharge / ಪ್ರಿಯಾಂಕ್ ಖರ್ಗೆ (@PriyankKharge) January 15, 2022
After several negative tests,I have now tested positive for Covid.
Thankfully all my staff members have tested -ve.
Request anyone who was in touch with me to get tested as per norms.
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Bypoll results will decide the future of Congress in Karnataka: BJP leader Ashoka
Bengaluru (PTI): Leader of Opposition BJP in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said the results of the bypolls in Davanagere South and Bagalkote assembly constituencies will decide the future of the ruling Congress in the state.
The bypolls were necessitated following the demise of sitting Congress MLAs Shamanur Shivashankarappa and H Y Meti, who represented Davanagere South and Bagalkote constituencies respectively.
The ruling Congress has fielded Shamanur Shivashankarappa’s grandson and Karnataka Minister S S Mallikarjun’s son Samarth Shamanur in Davanagere South and Umesh Meti in Bagalkote, who are locked in a direct contest with BJP candidates T Dasakariyappa and Veerabhadrayya Charantimath.
According to Ashoka, there is a contest between the poor and the rich in the upcoming bypolls, scheduled on April 9.
"The Congress will lose this election, and the future of the state will be decided. Since Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said ‘Make the poor win’, the BJP has fielded poor candidates,” the BJP leader said in a press conference.
In Davanagere, the BJP has given a ticket to an ordinary person, whereas Congress has given tickets to powerful and influential people. In Bagalkote, there is a very good opinion about the BJP candidate, he claimed.
According to him, the Congress has given space to dynastic politics in both places. Therefore, the BJP has a strong chance of winning in both constituencies.
The LoP said if the Congress candidate wins in Davanagere, it is understood that Muslims will not get opportunities in the future, and therefore, Muslims are opposing the Congress party.
He also charged that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who talks about uniting backward classes, has not given a ticket to backward class candidates.
