Less than 1,000 new COVID cases in B’luru for first time in 2 months as state reports 5041 new cases
Bengaluru: For the first time in two months, Bengaluru logged less than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases, as Karnataka on Tuesday reported 5,041 fresh infections and 115 deaths, taking the tally to 27.77 lakh and the toll to 33,148.
The day also saw 14,785 discharges, continuing to outnumber the fresh cases, taking the total number of recoveries in the state so far to 25,81,559.
Out of the 5,041 new cases, 985 were from Bengaluru Urban, as the city saw 2,818 discharges and 16 deaths, the health department said in a bulletin.
The total number of active cases in the state is 1,62,282.
While the positivity rate stood at 3.80 per cent, the Case Fatality Rate (CFR) was 2.28 per cent.
Out of 115 deaths reported on Tuesday, 26 were from Mysuru, Bengaluru Urban (16), Dharwad (8), Davangere (7), Hassan (6), Ballari, Dakshina Kannada, Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada (five each), followed by others.
Among the districts where the new cases were reported, Bengaluru Urban accounted for 985, Hassan 522, Mysuru 490, Dakshina Kannada 482, Tumakuru 329, followed by others.
Bengaluru Urban district tops the list of positive cases, with a total of 11,99,143, followed by Mysuru 1,58,956 and Tumakuru 1,12,570.
Among discharges too, Bengaluru Urban was on top with 11,00,612, followed by Mysuru 1,46,917 and Tumakuru 1,05,676.
Cumulatively a total of 3,19,23,601 samples have been tested in the state so far, out of which 1,32,600 were done on Tuesday alone.
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
