K'taka MLC polls: BJP, Cong win 1 teachers' seat each, counting on for 2 graduates' constituencies
Bengaluru, June 15: The ruling BJP and opposition Congress registered victory in one teachers' constituency each in the biennial election to the Karnataka Legislative Council for which results were declared on Wednesday, while counting of votes is underway for two graduates' seats in which both national parties are leading in one each.
The BJP's candidate from West Teachers' constituency Basavaraj Horatti created a history of sorts in the country by getting elected to the Upper House of the legislature for a record eighth term, while former MLA and MP Prakash Hukkeri won the North-West Teachers' constituency for Congress.
North-West Graduates', South Graduates', North-West Teachers', and West Teachers' constituencies went for polls on Monday, witnessing an overall voter turnout of 71.01 per cent.
The elections to the four seats of the Upper House of Karnataka Legislature were necessitated as the term of BJP's Nirani Hanamant Rudrappa (N-W Graduates') and JD(S)' K T Srikante Gowda (S-Graduates'), BJP's Arun Shahpur (N-W Teachers') and JD(S)' Basavaraj Horatti (W-Teachers') are coming to an end on July 4.
It is a major setback for JD(S) as with the two seats it had won last time, the party has lost West Teachers' and is on the verge of losing South Graduates' constituency.
Horatti, who was Chairman of the Legislative Council until recently, had resigned from the post to join the BJP ahead of polls and contesting the election from West Teachers' constituency on the party's ticket emerged victorious by securing 9,266 votes.
His closest rival Basavaraj Gurikar of Congress got 4,597 votes, while Shrishail Gadadinni of JD(S) got just 273 votes.
Horatti, who was elected as MLC successive times from 1980, had recently ended his long association with the JD(S) by joining BJP.
Considered to be among the senior-most MLCs, the 76-year-old is seen as a prominent Lingayat face from north Karnataka. He had been education minister in the state, and was elected as the Chairman of the Legislative Council in February 2021.
In the North-West Teachers' constituency, Arun Shahpur of BJP, who was seeking re-election was defeated by Congress' Prakash Hukkeri. Both of them have secured 6,405 and 11,460 votes respectively, while Chandrashekhar Esappa Loni of JD(S) secured 544 votes.
Counting of votes is underway for South Graduates' and North-West Graduates constituencies.
In the South Graduates' constituency, Congress' Madhu G Madegowda was leading against former MLC M V Ravishankar of the BJP and H K Ramu of JD(S). According to sources, Madegowda is leading with a low margin.
The N-W Graduates' seat witnessed a direct fight between BJP and Congress, with JD(S) not in the fray.
BJP's Nirani Hanamant Rudrappa, who is seeking re-election, is leading against Congress' Sunil Annappa Sank.
If the BJP and Congress manage to win one seat each where the counting is on, the 75-member Legislative Council will have 39 BJP members, 27 Congress and eight JD(S), and one Independent member.
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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.
