Race for K'taka CM's post; Siddaramaiah leaves for Delhi to meet with AICC leaders
Bengaluru(PTI): Amid the intense race for the Chief Minister's post involving his party colleague DK Shivkumar, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah left for Delhi on Monday to meet AICC leaders.
His visit comes a day after the after the Congress' newly elected legislators authorised AICC President M Mallikarjun Kharge to decide on the party's CM pick. Earlier on Monday, Congress Observer Sushil Kumar Shinde had said both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar would be called to Delhi for consultations, if required.
The Congress won the May 10 Assembly elections, winning 135 seats.
According to party sources, the 75-year-old Siddaramaiah left for the national capital by a special flight to meet senior party leaders.
"We observers along with Congress general secretary and in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala and general secretary (organisation) [K C Venugopal] will go to Delhi," Shinde earlier told reporters here.
"Our report (based on feedback received at the Congress Legislaure Party meeting) is secret, which we can't divulge. Only our party president Mallikarjun Kharge can reveal," he added.
According to Congress sources, some legislators shared their opinion on their CM preference to the central observers in person during the meeting of the CLP, while the others who were hesitant to share their views face-to-face were given the option of doing so in writing.
"It was a kind of secret ballot in which one could share their opinion choosing between Shivakumar or Siddaramaiah, or any other third leader, or leave it to the decision of the high command," an MLA-elect said on condition of anonymity.
It is said that while a section of MLAs wanted to choose their leader at the meeting by raising hands, the party decided against it as it might create "open division".
Siddaramaiah is learnt to have stressed on getting the opinion of all MLAs before the party high command decides on the new CLP leader, who will subsequently head the government as CM. Kharge had deputed Maharashtra ex-CM Shinde, AICC General Secretary Jitendra Singh and former AICC general secretary Deepak Babaria as observers for the election of the CLP leader.
Jitendra Singh said, "we will make a report and submit it to the Congress president. We have talked to all the MLAs in detail till midnight. Decision will be taken only after handing over the report."
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council B K Hariprasad said that with the three central observers having taken the feedback from all MLAs, the party high command will now decide on the next chief minister.
"Observers met and took feedback from MLAs one-to-one yesterday night. There was open feedback and also a secret ballot for the CM's name. Now, the party high command will decide who will be the CM," Hariprasad said.
The CLP at its meeting on Sunday unanimously passed a resolution authorising Kharge to choose the new chief minister of the State.
In the May 10 polls to the 224-member Assembly, the Congress won 135 seats, the BJP 66 and the JD (S) 19. The results were declared on May 13.
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Two more Hindu priests arrested in Bangladesh: ISKCON Kolkata
Kolkata, Nov 30: Two more Hindu priests were arrested in Bangladesh, ISKCON Kolkata spokesperson Radharamn Das claimed on Saturday.
Speaking to PTI, Radharamn said, "I have received information that two more ISKCON monks have been arrested by police in Bangladesh."
In a post on X on Friday night, Radharamn said, "In the meantime, bad news has come: two devotees who went with prasad for Chinmaya Prabhu were arrested on their way back to the temple, and Chinmaya prabhu's secretary is also missing. Please pray for them."
Earlier on Friday, Radharamn had posted, "Another Brahmachari, Sri Shyam Das Prabhu, was arrested by Chattogram Police today."
"Does he look like a terrorist? #FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh. The arrest of innocent #ISKCON brahmacharis are deeply shocking & disturbing," Radharamn posted on X on Saturday. His comments comes comes in the backdrop of unconfirmed reports of arrest of three more ISKCON monks, days after the arrest of spiritual leader Chinmay Das.
Chinmay Das, who also served as a spokesperson for Bangladesh Sammilita Sanatani Jagran Jote, was arrested at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday while en route to Chattogram to attend a rally. He was denied bail and sent to jail on Tuesday by the Chattogram Sixth Metropolitan Magistrate Court.
Historically, Hindus made up approximately 22 per cent of Bangladesh's population during the 1971 Liberation War.
The Hindu population, once a substantial demographic in Bangladesh, has experienced a significant decline in recent decades, with the minority community now comprising only around 8 per cent of the country's total population.
This drop is largely attributed to a combination of socio-political marginalisation, exodus and sporadic violence over the years.
In the meantime, bad news has come: two devotees who went with prasad for Chinmaya Prabhu were arrested on their way back to the temple, and Chinmaya prabhu's secretary is also missing. Please pray for them. #Bangladesh #ISKCON pic.twitter.com/NLX8hNZmpN
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) November 29, 2024
Does he look like a terrorist?#FreeISKCONMonks Bangladesh. The arrest of innocent #ISKCON brahmacharis are deeply shocking & disturbing. pic.twitter.com/VG6u7jlnXB
— Radharamn Das राधारमण दास (@RadharamnDas) November 30, 2024
