KPCC forms 'fact-finding' panel into party's dismal show in LS and assembly polls
Bengaluru: After the drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress' Karnataka unit Monday formed a "fact-finding committee" to find the reasons for the party's poor show in both parliamentary and 2018 assembly elections.
The five-member committee is headed by the state PCC vice-president and former legislative council chairman V R Sudarshan and former minister Basavaraj Rayareddy.
The committee would travel to every district, conduct assembly constituency-wise meetings and contact party leaders from booth to state level, find reasons for the party's defeat and gather suggestions from them about organising the party for the future, the Karnataka pradesh congress committee said in a release.
It said the committee would submit a comprehensive report to the KPCC president, adding that it would dwell onreasons for the congress candidates defeat and opinion in the minds of the people regarding the party.
The congress, which fought the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the JD(S, has won only one of 21 seats it had contested. The JD(S) too won in one out of seven seats in which it was in the fray.
Steamrolling the ruling Congress-JDS alliance, the BJP had scored a resounding win by bagging 25 of the total 27 Lok Sabha seats it had contested, while an independent candidate supported by the party had won in Mandya.
This was said to be worst ever performance by the Congress in Karnataka and a record of sorts by BJP for which the state emerged as the bright spot in the South with other neighbouring states bucking the "Modi magic".
The Congress, which was seeking to come back to power inKarnataka under Siddaramaiah's leadership, had managed to win only 77 seats in the 2018 assembly polls, while the BJP emerged as the single largest party with 104 MLAs.
The JD(S) had won 37 seats.
The BJP added to its tally by wresting the Chincholi seat from the Congress in the May 19 bypolls, while the Congress won in Kundgol.
In the 224-member Karnataka assembly, the BJP now has 105 MLAs, Congress-78, JD(S)-37, BSP (1), independent (1) (both currently supporting the ruling alliance), KPJP (1) and Speaker.
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No more street vending on B’luru’s main roads, as govt plans to bring new policy for street hawkers
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday said that the state government has decided to formulate a new policy for footpaths in Bengaluru, under which street vending will not be allowed on main roads and sub-main roads.
Addressing the media after a budget preparation meeting and executive meeting of GBA corporations at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said discussions were held with MLAs from the GBA region regarding the corporations’ budgets and key civic issues.
Leader of Opposition R. Ashok also participated in the meeting and shared his views. Officials from multiple departments, including police, BESCOM, BMRCL, BWSSB and BDA, along with ministers and legislators, were present.
He stated that all five municipalities have prepared their individual budgets, while MLAs have submitted their demands, including calls for ward-wise grants.
“We have decided to bring a new policy for footpaths. Citizens are struggling to walk as footpaths are encroached upon by street vendors,” Shivakumar said.
Highlighting the need to balance livelihoods and public convenience, he added that “a separate space will be provided for street vendors, and specific roads will be designated for their business,” ensuring that pedestrians can use footpaths without obstruction. He noted that there was unanimous agreement among MLAs on this approach.
Issuing a warning to vendors, Shivakumar said that authorities will act against those violating the rules. “If vendors operate during the day and leave their carts on the roadside at night, authorities will clear them. People should be aware of this,” he said.
Providing data on street vendors, he said that around 60,000 vendors have registered so far, of which 30,000 have applied for vehicles, and a tender has already been floated.
“Only those with street vendor identity cards will be allowed to do business. Those without ID cards will not be permitted to operate on the streets,” he added.
