Would have won Hangal for BJP had CM Bommai deputed me earlier: Minister V Somanna
Bengaluru, Nov 10: With the ruling BJP's defeat in Hangal Assembly constituency in the recently held bypoll seen as a "setback" to Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, a senior Minister in his Cabinet on Wednesday claimed that the party would have won the seat with a big margin if only Bommai had sent him there in advance.
"You (some in the media) said we (BJP) will lose both seats (Hangal and Sindgi), I want to say that if the Chief Minister had sent me to Hangal three day before, we would have won by a lead of 10,000 (votes)," Housing Minister V Somanna told reporters here.
Asked whether he was upset over not having made in-charge of Hangal bypoll or those who were in-charge of the segment had not manage things well, he said, "We have to bow to the mandate of the people, we have accepted and done that."
Meanwhile, a video surfaced in which Somanna and senior BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal can be seen discussing, after a press conference, about the loss in Hangal, and expressing displeasure.
In the conversation telecast on Kannada news channels, Yatnal says: You should've been deputed in Hangal (as in-charge)"; Somanna replies: "Both of us were enough..."
Both leaders then lament about the loss.
While Ministers Murugesh Nirani, J C Madhuswamy, B C Patil, Shivaram Hebbar, Member of Parliament Shivakumar Udasi, and party's State vice-president B Y Vijayendra were among the 13 in-charge of Hangal bypolls, Somanna was among those in-charge of Sindgi, where the party won.
In what is being seen as a bittersweet result for the ruling BJP in Karnataka, the saffron party won the Sindgi Assembly segment but lost the Hangal seat to Congress.
Congress's Srinivas Mane won Hangal by a margin of 7,373 votes. He secured 87,490 votes while his closest rival Shivaraj Sajjanar of the BJP got 80,117. The bypoll was necessitated due to the death of BJP MLA C M Udasi.
The BJP's loss in Hangal was seen as a "setback" to Chief Minister Bommai personally, as it is the neighbouring constituency to his Shiggaon Assembly segment in Haveri district, where he had extensively campaigned, and his personal relationship with the segment as his wife and a few other family members hail from there.
This was also the first major electoral challenge for Bommai after taking charge as Chief Minister in July this year.
Bommai, soon after the poll results on November 2, had said that he has taken this election setback very seriously and will do all the corrections. The two bypolls were held on October 30.
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Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra ties knot with tennis player Himani Mor
New Delhi: Javelin superstar Neeraj Chopra, one of India's most eligible bachelors, tied the knot with tennis player Himani Mor couple of days back in an intimate ceremony that has taken everyone by surprise.
The 27-year-old Chopra announced the marriage with the 25-year-old Himani, who hails from Haryana's Sonipat, on his social media handles.
"I began a new chapter of my life with my family. Grateful for every blessing that brought us to this moment together. Bound by love, happily ever after," Chopra wrote in a post with the pictures of the marriage ceremony.
Chopra's uncle Bhim told PTI that the marriage took place in the country and the couple has left for honeymoon.
Daughter of Chand Ram, Mor is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Sports Management (Major) at the Franklin Pierce University in New Hampshire. She is an alumni of Delhi's Miranda House where she completed her bachelors degree in Political Science and Physical Education. He has a brother, Himanshu who is also a tennis player.
She participated at the 2017 World University Games in Taipei after competing at the national level for Delhi University. Her school website says she won a gold medal in the World Junior Tennis Championship held in Malaysia in 2016.
"Yes, the marriage took place in India two days back. I can't tell the place where it took place," Bhim told from his village at Khandra near Panipat in Haryana.
"The girl is from Sonipat and she is studying in the US. They have left the country for honeymoon and I am not aware of the places where they are going. We wanted to keep it like that," said Bhim, who stays with the Olympic double medallist at Khandra, when asked about the surprise development.
According to the All India Tennis Association (AITA) website, Himani's carrer best national ranking was 42 in singles and 27 in doubles in 2018. She started playing in 2018 only in AITA events.
Mor did her schooling at Little Angels School in Sonipat.
Amherst College in Massachusetts also lists her as an assistant coach of women's tennis as most major students can do some other job, along with study.
Chopra, who won a gold in Tokyo Olympics and a silver in the Paris Game, was earlier training in South Africa after he roped in world record holder javelin legend Jan Zelezny of Czech Republic.
