Kumaraswamy says son Nikhil will not contest Karnataka assembly polls
Mandya, Jul 26: JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said his son and party youth wing president Nikhil Kumaraswamy will not be contesting the assembly polls in Karnataka, which is due next year.
The former state chief minister said the 32-year-old actor-turned politician, who is the grandson of former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, will work towards the party's victory.
"Who said Nikhil will contest? He has decided to work towards organising the party in about 30-40 constituencies. Nikhil will not contest assembly polls," Kumaraswamy said.
There were some speculations in the party circles that Kumaraswamy may shift to Ramanagara and give up his Channapatna seat to make way for Nikhil, while his wife Anita Kumaraswamy, who currently represents Ramanagara, may not contest the polls.
According to some party leaders, Nikhil is said to be more interested in fighting and winning the next Lok Sabha polls from Mandya.
Nikhil lost the 2019 Lok Sabha poll from the party bastion of Mandya to BJP-backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, an actor-turned politician.
JD(S) had fought the previous Lok Sabha polls in alliance with the Congress, as both parties were then running a coalition government, with Kumaraswamy as the Chief Minister.
The talk about Nikhil not contesting the polls has come as JD(S) often faces criticism for "dynasty politics", with it even being called a "family party", as at least eight members from party patriarch Deve Gowda's immediate family are into politics.
As it aims to independently form a government this time, the JD(S) has set a target of winning 123 out of 224 seats in the assembly polls.
Kumaraswamy had recently predicted the possibility of an early assembly election in Karnataka, saying it could be held in December this year.
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Man chased, brutally stabbed inside public toilet in northwest Delhi; one arrested; juvenile held
New Delhi (PTI): An alleged road rage incident took a fatal turn when a 27-year-old factory worker was chased down by assailants and stabbed multiple times inside a public toilet in northwest Delhi's Ashok Vihar area, police said on Thursday.
According to police, the incident took place on Wednesday night, when witnesses saw the victim, Santosh Kumar, running into a public toilet in a desperate bid to save his life, with his attackers hot on his heels.
"A PCR call was received at 6:23 pm on April 8 regarding a man being stabbed inside the compound of a Sulabh Sauchalaya located at the fish market in Wazirpur Industrial Area," a senior police officer said.
A police team rushed to the spot and found the victim lying in a pool of blood inside the toilet premises. The victim, originally from Nepal, was residing in Macchi Market area, the official said.
Preliminary inquiry revealed that the incident stemmed from an altercation between the victim and a motorcycle rider. The verbal spat soon escalated into a physical scuffle, during which the accused, along with an associate, allegedly attacked Santosh with a knife.
Police sources said in a desperate attempt to save himself, the injured victim ran towards the nearby public toilet and tried to latch the door from inside. Eyewitness accounts suggest he tried to take refuge inside the public toilet and shut the door to prevent his attackers from entering. However, he was chased down, overpowered, and stabbed multiple times.
Santosh collapsed on the spot, where he later succumbed to his injuries, police said.
A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3(5) (common intentions) was registered at Ashok Vihar police station and an investigation was taken up.
During the probe, police arrested one accused identified as Tanish (19), a resident of CSA Colony in Macchi Market area, and apprehended a juvenile allegedly involved in the incident.
Police said the motorcycle used by the accused, which they had abandoned while fleeing after the attack, was recovered near the crime scene.
Family members and acquaintances of the deceased expressed shock over the killing. Santosh's uncle, who reached the spot after being informed, recounted the scene.
"When I came here, I saw him lying on the floor, dead. I noticed that he had been stabbed twice. I am not aware of what exactly happened. He was just 27 years old and used to work in a steel company with me. I don't know how many people were involved in the attack. We are from Nepal, and I have been working here for 15 years. I think he was stabbed outside and later came inside the toilet to save himself. There was a bike outside which I think belonged to the attackers," he said.
Police said the motive behind the crime appears to be road rage -- a sudden and heated altercation on the road that spiralled into a violent assault resulting in the victim's death.
Efforts are underway to identify and apprehend any other persons involved in the attack. Police teams are analysing CCTV footage from the surrounding area and examining local witnesses to piece together the sequence of events.
