Not afraid to contest against HD Deve Gowda, says BJP’s Sadananda Gowda

Lok Sabha 2019

In 2014, Sadananda Gowda had won by a comfortable margin of more than 2 lakh votes from the Bengaluru North seat.

Soumya Chatterjee

PTI/ File image

Union Minister and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, DV Sadananda Gowda on Monday said that he will not shy away from contesting against former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch HD Deve Gowda.  “I respect Deve Gowda but I am not afraid of him," the BJP leader told reporters as speciation is rife that the 93-year-old veteran is set to contest from Bengaluru North this time around.  "If my party decides that I must contest from Bengaluru North, then I will contest from there. Whatever it may be, BJP must win from the segment. I have great respect for Deve Gowda but I am not scared of him. It will be good if I contest against an elder in politics and if I win, that will be even better,” he added. With party president BS Yeddyurappa suggesting that all sitting BJP MPs will contest from their current constituencies, Bangalore North being home to a lot of Vokkaligas may very well see a battle royale between two tall leaders from the community. However, the Congress and JD(S) are yet to announce their final seat sharing arrangement nor has any major party in Karnataka made their candidate list public. In 2014, BJP had fielded ex-CM Sadananda Gowda, who hails from Puttur in coastal Karnataka, in north Bengaluru. And with the Modi wave in full swing then, he went on to defeat his nearest rival from the Congress— C Narayana Swamy by a margin of more than two lakh votes. Prior to this, the Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation had his electoral success limited to coastal Karnataka. He won the Lok Sabha polls from Udupi-Chikmagalur in 2009, and from the Mangalore seat in 2004. Even the two times he was an MLA, he had won from Puttur.  Deve Gowda who is an MP in his stronghold of Hassan is vacating the seat for his grandson - Prajwal Revanna, son of PWD minister HD Revanna. While Mandya, another JD(S) stronghold in the Vokkaliga belt, was the initial choice this year for the six-time MP, it is learnt that he is leaving that also for his other grandson and film star Nikhil. Party insiders say Mandya will be a safe bet for political rookie Nikhil, who is the son of Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.        

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Yakshagana artist Chandrahasa Hudugodu dies while performing on stage in Udupi

Death

The artist was performing the role of Salva in the 'Bheeshma Vijaya' sketch when he suddenly collapsed on stage due to a suspected cardiac arrest.

Prajwal Bhat

Chandrahasa Hudugodu, a Yakshagana artiste, passed away during a performance in Elajitha village near Byndoor in Udupi district on Sunday night. The 50-year-old Yakshagana artist was depicting the role of Salva in the 'Bheeshma Vijaya' sketch when he suddenly collapsed on stage due to a suspected cardiac arrest. He was immediately rushed to a hospital in Byndoor by his son Pradeep Gudaguru who was present in the audience, however, he was announced dead. Chandrahasa was famous for portraying the role of Salva and was locally known as 'Abhinaya Salva'. "He was a person dedicated to his craft. He could perform a variety of roles. He notably performed villainous roles like Keechaka, Kaurava, Dushtabuddhi and has also portrayed hero roles like Krishna. He was appreciated by everyone for his delivery of dialogues,” M Shantaram Kudva, a Yakshagana artist from Moodbidri, told TNM. The performance was being screened live on Facebook but it was stopped when the incident occurred, at around 11:30 pm. Chandrahasa was performing as part of the Jalavalli Yakshagana Mela, which is a touring troupe of Yakshagana artists. He was well versed in the Badaguthittu form of Yakshagana performed in Udupi and Uttara Kannada districts and often played the role of villains. In the Badaguthittu variety of Yakshagana, more emphasis is placed on facial expressions and dialogues. Earlier, he used to tour with the Saligrama Yakshagana troupe but he quit the group four years ago, to be involved in politics. Chandrahasa was also the president of the Hadinabalu Gram Panchayat which is near Honnavara in Uttara Kannada district. He would perform as a guest artist in various melas and events whenever he was invited, like the performance on Sunday night, which, however, proved to be his last. He leaves behind a legacy of Yakshagana performances.

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Rohini Nilekani rules out contesting in LS polls from Bengaluru South

Politics

She was reportedly being lined up by the Congress to contest against Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, who is likely to contest for the BJP.

TNM Staff

Philanthropist Rohini Nilekani will not be contesting in the Lok Sabha elections, sources close to her confirmed.  Rohini, who is the wife of non-executive chairman of Infosys and former chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), was reportedly in the Congress list to contest from the Bengaluru South constituency. Her name, however, did not figure in the list of probable candidates circulated by the Congress party last week with the names of former MLA Priya Krishna and former Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy figuring as the candidates being considered from Bengaluru South constituency.  This is the same constituency from which sources in the BJP said that the party is looking to field Tejaswini Ananth Kumar, also a philanthropist and the wife of late MP Ananth Kumar. Following his demise in 2018, the BJP appointed Subba Narasimha (Subbanna), a close aide of Ananth Kumar, to handle the activities of the constituency. Subba’s appointment was seen by some as the way for Tejaswini to enter the political arena. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Ananth Kumar had defeated Congress candidate Nandan Nilekani by a margin of more than 2 lakh votes. As per a report, Nandan was the richest candidate taking part in the elections with assets worth Rs 7,710 crore in his affidavit filed before the Election Commission. Tejaswini, who is yet to be confirmed as the candidate from Bengaluru South constituency, raised eyebrows when she appeared in a Mann Ki Baat programme after she was invited by BJP MP Sadananda Gowda. Tejaswini used to run a local newspaper called Namma Ananth Kumar (our Ananth Kumar) as well as the Adamya Chetana Trust which supplied mid-day meals to government schools in Bengaluru, Kalaburgi and Hubballi.

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Anantkumar Hegde makes another Islamophobic comment against Rahul Gandhi

Controversy

Known for his Islamophobic and misogynistic statements, Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde has stirred up a controversy yet again.

Theja Ram

Representation Photo

Known for his Islamophobic and misogynistic comments, Uttara Kannada MP Anantkumar Hegde has stirred up another controversy by making anti-Muslim comments against Rahul Gandhi, calling him a “paradesi (foreigner) born to a Muslim and a Christian.” Speaking to voters in Uttara Kannada on Sunday, the Minister of State for Skill Development said, "Look at the pitiful situation they (Congress) have brought us to. The whole world is praising our soldiers for their courage and bravery and this man (referring to Rahul Gandhi) wants proof of the damage caused in the attack (the Balakot airstrike). How did the son of a Muslim become a Brahmin named Gandhi? This 'paradesi' (referring to Rahul Gandhi) was born to a Muslim and a Christian. How does he become a Brahmin? Can he provide DNA proof?"   This is not the first time Anantkumar Hegde has ridiculed the Muslim community. He is known for his crass statements on women, religion and even the Constitution. However, he has never apologised for his remarks. In January earlier this year, he had called Rahul Gandhi a "hybrid specimen" who was "born to a Muslim and a Christian". "We can understand such issues but that empty-headed man (Rahul Gandhi) does not know or understand. You will not find such a hybrid specimen in any laboratory across the world. You'll find such a specimen in the Congress laboratory in this country where the father and son are of two different types. Look how they lie. How is the son of a Muslim father and a Christian mother supposed to be Brahmin," he had said. The minister has also made unnecessary comments over the religion of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee President Dinesh Gundu Rao's wife on multiple occasions, which earned him flak. "I shall definitely answer this guy Dinesh Gundu Rao's queries, before which could he please reveal himself as to who he is along with his achievements? I only know him as a guy who ran behind a Muslim lady," Anantkumar Hegde had said. His statement came as a response to Dinesh Gundu Rao's question as to what Anantkumar Hegde has contributed to the development of Karnataka. In 2016, Hegde's speech against the Muslim community had created a huge controversy. "If there is opportunity in the media – write exactly this. Telecast exactly this. Islam is a bomb for world peace. There will be no peace in the world as long as Islam is there," he had said. He was also booked under section 295A (deliberate and malicious act to outrage religious feelings) at the Sirsi Police Station. Anantkumar Hegde began his political career as an RSS cadre. An RSS member and later an ABVP activist, he rose in ranks of ABVP and later BJP, during the communal conflict in the North Karnataka after the demolition of Babri Masjid in 1992. Some of the first cases of rioting, unlawful assembly and promoting enmity among groups were lodged against him in 1993. Anantkumar Hegde has also been accused of gathering a mob and taking part in the riots in Bhatkal when the region was communally charged in 1993. In 1994, he dodged prohibitory orders in Hubli and reached the disputed Idgah Maidan and raised the national flag with two RSS cadre on August 15. Idgah maidan is a disputed property between the Waqf Board and the RSS, who claim that the land belongs to Hindus. Violence broke out after the flag was raised and eight people lost their lives. He was given a ticket to contest Parliamentary polls in 1996 from Uttara Kannada and broke into the Congress bastion by defeating Margaret Alva. He has five elections election from Uttara Kannada since then.

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Karnataka CET exams likely to be postponed as it clashes with Lok Sabha polls

Education

On Sunday the ECI announced that Karnataka will vote in two phases - on April 18 and April 23 - but two CET papers are also currently scheduled for April 23.

TNM Staff

The Common Entrance Test (CET) is likely to be postponed in Karnataka as election dates have been set for April 18 and 23. The Karnataka Examinations Authority (KEA), which is currently holding a meeting with the Pre-University Board officials, is deliberating on whether to push the exam dates as CET dates will coincide with the second phase of elections. Speaking to TNM, KEA Executive Director Girish said that the biggest issue is the availability of invigilators for the exam as most of the teachers will be on election duty. "Polling is held in schools and colleges in many places and exam rooms will also not be available. Lakhs of students write CET every year and it’s will not be possible to accommodate them during elections. We will decide whether we must push the dates after elections once the meeting is done. We will obviously have to hold the exams within a week after April 23,” Girish said. CET is the entrance exam, which Class 12 and PUC II students must write to qualify for engineering, pharmacology and technical education courses in Karnataka. The Karnataka Election Commission also is looking into the issue. Speaking to the media, Sanjiv Kumar, the Chief Electoral Officer for Karnataka, said the issue has been brought to their notice and they are waiting for the KEA to make a decision. On Sunday, the ECI announced that Karnataka will vote in two phases — on April 18 and April 23. The Biology and Mathematics papers for CET are to be held on on April 23, while Physics and Chemistry papers are to be held on April 24. Kannada language test is to be held on April 25. "We may have to postpone the Biology and Mathematics paper. And also the April 24 exam. The IIT-JEE exam will be held on April 7 and April 20 according to the dates prescribed," Girish added.

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BWSSB looks to fix issue of power cuts affecting water supply in Bengaluru

Civic

As per BWSSB, since January, there have been 14 disruptions in the TK Halli pumping station affecting power supply in the city.

TNM Staff

Inspite of a good monsoon filling up reservoirs, Bengaluru is facing water problems due to electrical failures affecting the capacity of the pumps at the pumping stations in TK Halli Since January, there have been 14 disruptions at the TK Halli pumping station affecting power supply in the city. The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) is looking to fix the issue ahead of the peak summer months of April and May. “We have written to the Bescom asking them to install breakers in the power supply that may stop disruptions. The summer demand is high. Even a five minute disruption will lead to a half- hour stoppage in pumping,” said Kemparamaiah, Engineer-in-Chief, BWSSB, speaking to The Hindu. BWSSB wants to secure the electricity supply to the station and have asked for a transmission line to the station to be made underground.  According to BWSSB, the shutdowns in TK Halli in addition to power shutdowns across the city affecting local booster pumps, could cause problems for the city's residents. Earlier in January. the BWSSB undertook major repair and refurbishment works to ensure that the pipelines laid out in the city can withstand sudden power failures. During a power failure, the water headed to the city returns to the source with force. This could rupture pipelines and result in leakage of water.

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'Nobody can dare touch me’: Kannada actor Yash refutes contract killing rumours

Cinema

Sections of the media had reported that gangsters had been contracted to kill Yash.

TNM Staff

Playing down fears that gangsters had been given a supari (contract) to kill him, Kannada actor Yash said that he had been assured by police officials that he did not face a threat to his life.  Sections of the media had reported that gangsters had been contracted to kill Yash. This was in connection with an interrogation by a team of officials from the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of Bengaluru Police led by ACB Balaraj over a contract given to kill an unnamed Sandalwood actor.  Social media and news channels reported the news claiming that Yash was the actor in question however, a visibly upset Yash addressed media persons and clarified that this was not the case. "I have personally checked with the police, home department officials and everybody has denied my name being in the hit list of these gangsters. My family, friends and well-wishers have been disturbed by these rumours. I would like to clarify that nobody can even dare touch me. There is a government, police and people out there. I do not think it is that easy for someone to kill me so easily," Yash said as per Deccan Herald.  CCB officials had earlier arrested four persons near the BDA office in Sheshadripuram, who told the police that their leader Bharat alias Slum Bharat, who is currently in prison, had taken a supari to kill an eminent Sandalwood actor. "Probe revealed Bharath was all set to kill a noted actor in the Kannada film industry. But Yash's name is being circulated and it is false news," Additional Commissoner of Police (Crime) Alok Kumar told Times of India.  Yash most recently appeared in the blockbuster hit KGF: Chapter 1 where he played the role of a gangster. 

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