Karnataka MLC seat bypoll on March 15: Election Commission
Bengaluru, Feb 18: The bypoll to the Karnataka Legislative Council seat which fell vacant due to the death of Council deputy speaker S L Dharmegowda will take place on March 15, the Election Commission said on Thursday.
According to the ECI order, notification for the bypoll will be issued on February 25 and the last date of filing nominations is March 4.
The last date for withdrawal is March 8.
The ECI said the polling by the MLAs will take place between 9 am to 4 pm on March 15 and counting of votes will take place the same day.
The Commission said the election process should conclude before March 18.
It also said the election will take place as per COVID-19 safety guidelines including wearing of face masks and using sanitisers.
Dharmegowda, the 64-year-old JD(S) MLC, was found dead on a rail track in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka in the early hours of December 29, with police sources claiming he died by suicide.
The late leader was at the centre of high drama in the legislative council on December 15, which saw BJP-JD(S) and Congress members hurling abuses and pushing each other over a row pertaining to a no-confidence motion against then Chairman K Pratapachandra Shetty.
During the ruckus, Dharmegowda, who was in the Chairman's seat, was pulled down by some Congress legislators who accused him of occupying the chair against the rules.
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Ramdev criticises US, Israel over Iran war; video viral
New Delhi: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has sharply criticised the United States and Israel over their conflict with Iran, in a video from a television interview that has gone viral on social media.
Speaking on a show aired by ABP News, Ramdev was asked whether India should support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was reported to have been killed on the first day of the war on February 28.
Responding to the question, Ramdev said, “You can kill a person, but you cannot kill his ideas, his philosophy, his mindset, his spirit, or his valour and heroism.”
He went on to express support for Iran, saying he may not know much about the country but believes its people cannot be subdued. Referring to the Shia Muslim community, he said no one could make them “bow down” or defeat them, adding that a significant section of Iran’s population strongly identifies with Khamenei’s ideology.
When asked about Netanyahu, Ramdev criticised both him and US President Donald Trump, saying they are “both cut from the same cloth.” He added, “I am not calling anyone a thief; I am simply citing a proverb it implies that they are both of the same ilk, and I consider them both to be war criminals. I consider them criminals against humanity; I consider them criminals against nature and the environment.”
He further said that the United States and Israel have “erected a Himalaya-sized mountain of political mistrust” and claimed that both countries would have to face the consequences for decades. “In this conflict, neither can America and Israel emerge victorious, nor can Iran be defeated,” he said.
Ramdev’s remarks come at a time when India’s position on the conflict has drawn attention. The government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has maintained what it describes as “strategic autonomy” in foreign policy.
