Landslide victory for BJP in Karnataka: What exit polls say

Lok Sabha 2019

Congress-JD(S) coalition is predicted to win a negligible number of seats in the state.

TNM Staff

As Lok Sabha elections came to an end on Sunday, several pollsters came out with predictions for how the national and regional parties would fare. Seven exit polls predicted a win for the BJP in Kerala, while the Congress-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka was predicted to win a negligible number of seats. India Today-My Axis poll predicted that the BJP would win 21-25 seats, and the Congress-JD(S) coalition would win 3-5 seats, with the Congress gaining 2-3 and JD(S) winning 1-2 seats respectively. CNN News18-IPSOS poll predicted that the BJP would gain 20-23 seats, while the Congress-JD(S) coalition would bag 5-8 segments. The Times Now-VMR poll has given the BJP a considerable headway in Karnataka with the party predicted to win 21 seats, followed by Congress winning 6 seats and the JD(S) winning 1 seat. Republic-Jan Ki Baat survey has given the BJP 18-20 seats, the Congress-JD(S) coalition 10-7 seats and 1 seat for an independent. Republic-CVoter exit poll has predicted that the BJP, Congress-JD(S) coalition, and independent would win 18, 9 and 1 seats respectively. NewsX-NETA exit poll has predicted a lead for the BJP with 15 seats, followed by Congress with 10 seats and the JD(S) with 2 seats and others 1. Today’s Chanakya has allocated 23 plus or minus 4 seats for the BJP, 5 plus or minus 4 seats for the Congress-JD(S) alliance. In 2014, the Congress had won 9 seats, while the BJP and JD(S) had bagged 17 and 2 seats respectively in the state. The Congress in Karnataka has forged an alliance with the JD(S) ahead of the Lok Sabha elections this year. The Congress has chosen to contest from 20 constituencies, while the JD(S) has been offered eight segments. The two parties, considered arch rivals in Karnataka, had forged an alliance with the goal of defeating the BJP in the state. While the pre-poll coalition was forged with the intention of consolidating votes, there is speculation that the chances of it translating into actual votes is minimal. This, after Congress and JD(S) cadre openly rebelled against the parties' diktat and worked against the coalition's candidates in several key constituencies. This became doubly evident when a section of the Congress cadre had supported the opposition candidate Sumalatha in Mandya. Sumalatha, the wife of late Congress leader Ambareesh, is up against Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy’s son – Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya. With the party workers unable to reconcile with each other due to the longstanding rivalry in the region, Congress cadre had refused to support Nikhil. Similarly, the Congress workers had refused to support former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda, who contested from the Tumakuru segment. In retaliation, the JD(S) cadre refused to support Congress candidate CH Vijayashankar in the Mysuru-Kodagu, Kolar and Chikkaballapur segments. JD(S) MLA from Chamundeshwari GT Devegowda had in April, told the media that the JD(S) workers in Mysuru had voted for the BJP. Faced with hostility at every turn, speculation is rife in political circles that the Congress and JD(S) coalition is unlikely to last after May 23 (counting of votes).  

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Rahul Gandhi accuses Election Commission of favouring BJP, PM Modi

Lok Sabha 2019

The BJP Karnataka unit saw the tweet as Rahul accepting defeat.

TNM Staff

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi attacked the Election Commission on Twitter for allegedly favouring the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as polling for the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha 2019 elections drew to an end on Sunday. Rahul Gandhi tweeted that the Election Commission once used to be “feared and respected” but “not anymore.” He said, “...the Election Commission’s capitulation before Mr Modi & his gang is obvious to all Indians.” “From Electoral Bonds & EVMs to manipulating the election schedule, NaMo TV, ‘Modi’s Army’ & now the drama in Kedarnath; the Election Commission’s capitulation before Mr Modi & his gang is obvious to all Indians. The EC used to be feared & respected. Not anymore,” he said in a tweet. From Electoral Bonds & EVMs to manipulating the election schedule, NaMo TV, “Modi’s Army” & now the drama in Kedarnath; the Election Commission’s capitulation before Mr Modi & his gang is obvious to all Indians. The EC used to be feared & respected. Not anymore. — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 19, 2019 Rahul’s remarks came just ahead of television channels airing their exit poll results for the Lok Sabha polls which will be declared on May 23. However, this was not the first time Rahul or the Opposition has attacked the Election Commission over issues of alleged favouritism towards the ruling party since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect. Rahul’s comment was echoed by former Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who tweeted, “Polling is over. Now we can say that the 'pilgrimage' of the PM in the last two days is an unacceptable use of religion and religious symbols to influence the voting. “ He added, “Our charge had been that the EC was sleeping on the job. Now, we can go further and say that the EC completely surrendered its independence and authority. Shame!” Our charge had been that the EC was sleeping on the job. Now, we can go further and say that the EC completely surrendered its independence and authority. Shame! — P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) May 19, 2019 While Rahul words were backed by his party and like-minded individuals, the BJP and its supporters saw this as a defence method as the exit polls predicted the return of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister. The official Twitter handle of the Karnataka unit of the BJP was, “Let’s sum it up. He is accepting the defeat !” Let’s sum it up. He is accepting the defeat ! https://t.co/Yd9qnzXYG4 — BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) May 19, 2019 Six major exit polls conducted by English television channels along with agencies have predicted a huge win for the BJP-led NDA.

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How Democrats are failing on legalized marijuana

Overall, the year has not lived up to expectations.

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Man killed in explosion near MLA’s residence in Bengaluru, probe underway

Accident

Forensic experts are yet to ascertain the cause and nature of the explosion.

Soumya Chatterjee

Arun Dev

A 45-year-old man died in an explosion that took place in Vyalikaval in central Bengaluru on Sunday morning. The cause of the blast is yet to be established. The accident spot was just a stone’s throw away from Congress MLA from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Munitrathna Naidu’s residence. The deceased has been identified as Venkatesh Kumar, who worked as a dhobi. The incident took place a little after 9am. The incident prompted the bomb squad and senior police officials including the Commissioner to rush to the spot. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar told TNM, “The person was walking near the MLA’s house. The victim is a known person named Venkatesh, he used to work as a ‘dhobi’. He was carrying something that has exploded. Forensic experts of the Forensic Science Laboratory are at the spot and investigating what might have triggered the explosion.” The senior cop refused to comment further on the incident. Due to the impact of the explosion, a crater has been formed on the road. Speaking with the media, MLA Munirathna called for a thorough investigation into the death and urged people to refrain from making wild speculations. He said, “Venkatesh is not an outsider, we grew up together. I'm very upset over what happened to him. This breaks my heart. Even our fathers were friends, they had gone to college together. So he is more like a family. But let us not say anything that comes to our mind about the accident and speculate. Let’s not spread rumours about a dead man. Police will calm things down. I was the one who called the police after hearing the explosion. I have faith in the police and let them investigate. The police commissioner is here trying to calm down the situation.” Further details are awaited.A 45-year-old man died in an explosion that took place in Vyalikaval in central Bengaluru on Sunday morning. The cause of the blast is yet to be established. The accident spot was just a stone’s throw away from Congress MLA from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, Munitrathna Naidu’s residence. The deceased has been identified as Venkatesh Kumar, who worked as a dhobi. The incident took place a little after 9am. The incident prompted the bomb squad and senior police officials including the Commissioner to rush to the spot. Bengaluru City Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar told TNM, “The person was walking near the MLA’s house. The victim is a known person named Venkatesh, he used to work as a ‘dhobi’. He was carrying something that has exploded. Forensic experts of the Forensic Science Laboratory are at the spot and investigating what might have triggered the explosion.” The senior cop refused to comment further on the incident. Due to the impact of the explosion, a crater has been formed on the road. Speaking with the media, MLA Munirathna called for a thorough investigation into the death and urged people to refrain from making wild speculations. He said, “Venkatesh is not an outsider, we grew up together. I'm very upset over what happened to him. This breaks my heart. Even our fathers were friends, they had gone to college together. So he is more like a family. But let us not say anything that comes to our mind about the accident and speculate. Let’s not spread rumours about a dead man. Police will calm things down. I was the one who called the police after hearing the explosion. I have faith in the police and let them investigate. The police commissioner is here trying to calm down the situation.” Further details are awaited.

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K’taka Min DK Shivakumar alleges Maharashtra backtracked on water sharing promise

Water

Karnataka and Maharashtra had reportedly agreed on a barter deal for water-sharing.

TNM Staff

Days after the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Maharashtra agreed on a water-sharing agreement, Maharashtra allegedly went back on its word. Karnataka Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar on Saturday tweeted the development concerning the Krishna river. He said, “Earlier, based on our request, Maharashtra Govt had agreed to release water after due payment. But now they have backtracked and are not releasing water into Krishna river.  This is an unexpected & shocking decision by Maharashtra Govt, especially as it concerns drinking water.” “Karnataka Govt had also agreed for a 'Water for Water' deal, but that also has not been honoured As it's an emergency, for the benefit of our farmers & people in especially Kagwad & Athani of Belagavi district, we are releasing 1 TMC of water from our live storage in Hidkal dam,” the minister added in a subsequent tweet. Earlier, based on our request, Maharashtra Govt had agreed to release water after due payment. But now they have backtracked and are not releasing water into Krishna river. This is an unexpected & shocking decision by Maharashtra Govt, especially as it concerns drinking water. — DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) May 18, 2019 On May 4, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had tweeted, “I appreciate Maharashtra Govt's move to release water to Karnataka. Govt of Karnataka had written to Govt of Maharashtra seeking release of water to address the acute drinking water problem in districts of North Ktka. Maha. Govt has responded positively for the state's request.” I appreciate Maharashtra Govt's move to release water to Karnataka. Govt of Karnataka had written to Govt of Maharashtra seeking release of water to address the acute drinking water problem in districts of North Ktka. Maha. Govt has responded positively for the state's request. — CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) May 4, 2019 On May 12, the Maharashtra government reportedly had agreed on a barter deal after multiple rounds of talks at the bureaucratic level. No formal agreement could be done as the Model Code of Conduct is in place. As per the agreement, 4 TMC of water from the Koyna dam in Maharashtra will flow to Chikkodi, Bagalkot and Vijayapura in Karnataka, and water from the Almatti dam in Karnataka will flow to Maharashtra’s Solapur and Jath. DK Shivakumar’s tweet comes on the same day the Centre issued a drought advisory to the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, with the water levels of dams in these states dipping to critical levels. 31 reservoirs in these states have waters at an alarmingly low depth. "The total live storage available in these reservoirs is 6.86 BCM, which is 13% of total live storage capacity of these reservoirs. The storage during corresponding period of last year was 13% and average storage of last ten years during corresponding period was 16 per cent," Central Water Commission (CWC) said.

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2 transwomen from Manipur allegedly raped in Bengaluru, cops arrest 3 men

Crime

While one of the accused is a cook and another is a cab driver, the third person is a supporting actor in the Kannada film industry.

Soumya Chatterjee

Bengaluru police on Saturday arrested three men for allegedly raping two transwomen from Manipur at knife point. Although the incident took place on May 12, the survivors, a 23-year-old student and a 24-year-old professional,  were reluctant to go the police fearing the usual apathy sexual minorities face from the law enforcers. However, support from friends and All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association finally led them to approach the police who took prompt action in nabbing the accused. “Police was very fast in taking action. The three people are in police custody now. We are happy with the action,” Kathrin* (name changed), one of the women, told TNM. On Monday, two friends Kathrin and Jamie* (name changed) were enjoying their Sunday at the former’s Koramangala residence watching TV. The horrific incident took place when they thought their food delivery had arrived at their doorstep. As they unsuspectingly opened the door, the three men armed with knives forced their way in. They held the two with knives at their neck and forced themselves upon the survivors for the next two hours. Following the complaint filed on Friday, the police had registered an FIR. On Saturday, the survivors were asked by the police to come to the station to identify the accused who had by then been detained. They were arrested after the survivors confirmed their involvement. The three accused are residents of the same neighbourhood where the alleged sexual assault took place. While one of them is a cook and another is a cab driver, the third person is a supporting actor in the Kannada film industry. Santa Khurai, noted transgender activist and president of All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association, said, “This is a racial attack targetted towards gender and sexual minority people. This also shows the layers of inhuman treatment that people from the trans community from the North East region who live in big cities across the country face.” She added, “There are several other unreported incidents which are not revealed due to fear of stigma and future insecurity.” The threats Kathrin recounted to TNM, “The three men put their knives on our necks and asked us to remove our dress. When we begged them to leave us alone, they threatened to harm us. We were afraid and we did not do what to do. We had no option.” “I had seen one of these attackers in the neighbourhood before,” she added.   Not only that, the three men took down the phone numbers and threatened that they will harm the two if they dared to approach the police. Horrified, they soon left to another friend’s residence where they felt that they will be safe. “They had called us the same night again asking us to come back, otherwise they will harm us,” she further said.   *Names and details of accused retained to protect identity           Bengaluru police on Saturday arrested three men for allegedly raping two transwomen from Manipur at knife point. Although the incident took place on May 12, the survivors, a 23-year-old student and a 24-year-old professional,  were reluctant to go the police fearing the usual apathy sexual minorities face from the law enforcers.   However, support from friends and All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association finally led them to approach the police who took prompt action in nabbing the accused.   “Police was very fast in taking action. The three people are in police custody now. We are happy with the action,” Kathrin* (name changed), one of the women, told TNM.   On Monday, two friends Kathrin and Jamie* (name changed) were enjoying their Sunday at the former’s Koramangala residence watching TV. The horrific incident took place when they thought their food delivery had arrived at their doorstep. As they unsuspectingly opened the door, the three men armed with knives forced their way in. They held the two with knives at their neck and forced themselves upon the survivors for the next two hours.   Following the complaint filed on Friday, the police had registered an FIR. On Saturday, the survivors were asked by the police to come to the station to identify the accused who had by then been detained. They were arrested after the survivors confirmed their involvement.   The three accused are residents of the same neighbourhood where the alleged sexual assault took place. While one of them is a cook and another is a cab driver, the third person is a supporting actor in the Kannada film industry.   Santa Khurai, noted transgender activist and president of All Manipur Nupi Maanbi Association, said, “This is a racial attack targetted towards gender and sexual minority people. This also shows the layers of inhuman treatment that people from the trans community from the North East region who live in big cities across the country face.”   She added, “There are several other unreported incidents which are not revealed due to fear of stigma and future insecurity.”   The threats   Kathrin recounted to TNM, “The three men put their knives on our necks and asked us to remove our dress. When we begged them to leave us alone, they threatened to harm us. We were afraid and we did not do what to do. We had no option.”   “I had seen one of these attackers in the neighbourhood before,” she added.     Not only that, the three men took down the phone numbers and threatened that they will harm the two if they dared to approach the police.   Horrified, they soon left to another friend’s residence where they felt that they will be safe.   “They had called us the same night again asking us to come back, otherwise they will harm us,” she further said.     *Names and details of accused retained to protect identity          

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Karnataka Assembly bye-polls: Polling begins in Chincholi and Kundgol

Politics

Vote count is on May 23 along with that of 28 Lok Sabha seats for which polling was held in two phase on April 18 and April 23 after a hectic campaign.

IANS

PTI/File

Polling began on Sunday in Karnataka's two assembly segments -- Chincholi and Kundgol, amid tight security, an official said.   "Voting began at 7 a.m. in 241 polling booths in Chincholi and 214 polling stations in Kundgol where 3.83-lakh electorate are enrolled to exercise their franchise," a poll official told IANS.   Of the total booths, 60 have been declared critical in Chincholi and 25 in Kundgol.   The polling will end at 6 p.m.   Of the total voters, 1,93,869 are in Chincholi and 1,89,313 in Kundgol.   Chincholi is 580 km from Bengaluru and Kundagol 410 km from Bengaluru.   As many as 25 candidates, including 4 women are in the fray for the twin by-elections.   "A total of 1,016 polling and police personnel are conducting the by-election in both the seats under tight vigil," added the official.   There are 17 candidates in Chincholi in Kalaburagi district and 8 in Kundgol in Dharwad district.   Prominent candidates for Chincholi are Avinash Umesh Jadhav of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Subhash V. Rathod of the Congress and Gautam Bomnalli of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).   Avinash is the son of Umesh Jadhav, whose resignation from the seat as a rebel Congress legislator necessitated the by-election.   In the Kundgol contest, Kusumavati Channabasappa is contesting from the Congress against SI Chikkanagoudar of the BJP. The remaining 6, including a woman are Independents.   Death of Congress Minister for Municipalities C.S. Shivalli on March 22 necessitated the by-poll. The Congress has fielded his widow Kusumavati to retain the seat on sympathy vote.   A three-time legislator, Chikkanagoudar lost to Shivalli by a narrow margin of 633 votes in the May 2018 state assembly elections.   Vote count is on May 23 along with that of 28 Lok Sabha seats for which polling was held in two phase on April 18 and April 23 after a hectic campaign.

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