Siddaramaiah set to break Devaraj Urs’ record as longest serving Karnataka CM
Mysuru (PTI): Set to surpass D Devaraj Urs as the longest serving Chief Minister of Karnataka on January 6, Siddaramaiah on Monday credited the historic milestone to the blessings of people.
Highlighting a key difference between himself and Urs, he said while Urs belonged to the ruling class, he hailed from the socially backward community (Kuruba or shepherd).
Addressing reporters here, he said, “With the blessings of the people, tomorrow late D Devaraj Urs' record of being the longest serving Chief Minister of Karnataka will be broken. The matter of pride is that I and Urs belong to Mysuru.”
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Asked whether he had ever imagined that he would ever break the record, he admitted that he had never imagined even becoming a Minister, let alone the CM.
“I had only thought that I will be an MLA after becoming the Taluk Board member. I have so far won eight elections. I lost two Parliament elections and two assembly elections. In my life, I have contested in 13 elections, including Taluk elections,” Siddaramaiah said.
On his comparison with Urs, he said, “Devaraj Urs was not socially backward. In fact, he was from a forward class, the ruling class. He was from a community which is less in population, but he was a popular leader.”
The Chief Minister said there is no comparison between him and Urs.
Noting that the era of Urs was different from the present, Siddaramaiah said Devaraj Urs contested elections by collecting money directly from the people.
“People gave him money and votes in 1962. Time has now changed,” he said.
To a query if there is any chance of breaking his record, Siddaramaiah said records are meant for breaking.
Using a sports analogy, he compared his feat to Virat Kohli breaking Sachin Tendulkar's record in cricket.
“I never said that no one will break my record. Someone may emerge to break my record of the longest serving Chief Minister or the one who presented the maximum budgets."
Siddaramaiah has so far presented 16 budgets.
On budget preparations, the Chief Minister said it will start after Makara Sankranti.
In response to another question on ‘Sadhana Samavesha’ (celebration of the achievement), Siddaramaiah said, "State Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda is planning something, but I don’t have any details as such. I will speak to him."
Regarding the cabinet reshuffle, Siddaramaiah said, "It has to be done. I will speak to Rahul Gandhi whenever he calls me. I have told him that I will speak to him in January."
Referring to the Ballari clashes, the Chief Minister said he would discuss it with State Home Minister Parameshwara on Tuesday.
When he was told that the firing took place reportedly from the gunman of Congress MLA Bharath Reddy, Siddaramaiah said, “Let the investigation be completed. We will get to know after the investigation is over.
Reacting to the BJP’s demand for a judicial probe by a sitting High Court judge, the Chief Minister said he will speak after the investigations are completed.
Regarding GST compensation to Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said a grave injustice is happening to the state government.
“The state is incurring a loss of Rs 12, 000 crore to Rs 15,000 crore a year. Earlier, the Centre was giving the entire money for MGNREGA, which was started by the Manmohan Singh government. Now the Centre has repealed the MNREGA and introduced VB-G-RAM-G.
“Earlier, people were supposed to get 100 days work and right to livelihood was the fundamental right, but now that right has been snatched. It is totally wrong. It’s unconstitutional,” the Chief Minister said.
Under the VB-G-RAM-G, the Centre will pay 60 per cent while the state has to contribute 40 per cent, resulting in an expenditure of Rs 3,000 crore a year for the state government, he added.
He alleged that the Centre wants to destroy the scheme meant to support poor people.
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England rallies after early setbacks on Day 4 of final Ashes test
Sydney (AP): England weathered multiple setbacks with skipper Ben Stokes limping from the field and opener Zak Crawley dismissed in the first over of the second innings before rallying to reach 80-1 at lunch Wednesday on Day 4 of the fifth and final Ashes test.
Opener Ben Duckett posted un unbeaten 40, his highest score of the series, but got a huge reprieve minutes before the interval when he fended a Michael Neser delivery and gloved it into the slips, where Cameron Green dropped a chance while diving in front of his skipper, Steve Smith.
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Duckett, who was on 37 at the time, was beaten by the next ball but survived the session. Jacob Bethel was not out 28. England still needed 103 to make Australia bat again at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
After dismissing Australia for 567, giving the hosts a 183-run lead, England's second innings started badly when Mitchell Starc struck in the first over to dismiss Crawley lbw on the fifth ball.
As he so often is, Starc was dangerous with his full, swinging deliveries early and Crawley, trying to leave, was trapped lbw without offering a shot to a ball that hit him high on the back pad. England reviewed the decision but the DRS technology upheld the umpire's original decision and England was 4-1.
Duckett got some edges that didn't carry to the wicketkeeper or slips early but settled into his best innings of the tour, hitting six boundaries in his 48-ball innings.
He and Bethell combined in a 76-run second-wicket stand that restored some confidence for the tourists.
The occasional ball was rearing up steeply off a length. Bethell was on 27 when he had to be assessed after a 140 kph (87 mph) short ball from Green glanced his batting helmet before skidding away to the boundary for four leg byes.
The follow-up ball was also a bouncer which the England batter ducked away from.
Stokes injured
England picked up the last three wickets for 49 runs after the Australians resumed at 518-7 but the morning session was overshadowed by an injury to Stokes. He bowled 10 deliveries before leaving the field, leaving question marks over his participation in the remainder of the SCG test. England team management said Stokes was being assessed for a right adductor complaint.
Australia's innings
Australia's commanding innings was built on centuries from stand-in opener Travis Head, his third of the series, and Steve Smith (138) and a late contribution from allrounder Beau Webster, who remained unbeaten on 71.
The Australians will be pushing for victory to complete a 4-1 series win after retaining the Ashes in 11 days of action with wins in the first three tess. England is determined to narrow the margin after its drought-breaking win in the fourth test at Melbourne.
Smith was 129 overnight but didn't settle into a rhythm before he was caught behind off Josh Tongue's bowling, ending a 107-run eighth-wicket partnership with Webster.
The last two wickets fell within six deliveries, with Starc (5) bowled by a full delivery from Tongue that moved late off the seam and off-spinner Will Jacks (1-34) having Scott Boland caught for a first-ball duck at first slip.
Tongue finished with figures of 3-97 from 20 overs.
The century was Smith's 13th in Ashes tests, the 37th of his career and his fifth at the Sydney Cricket Ground. With it, he moved up to sixth on the all-time list of most test centuries.
