In Karnataka, several rebels turned BJP candidates face heat from voters

Politics

Mandya, Athani and Yellapur are among the constituencies that are proving challenging for the disqualified MLAs.

Theja Ram

As the bye-elections for 15 Assembly constituencies approaches, some of the rebels who have defected to the BJP, are facing the heat from their constituents. Among them are disqualified MLAs Narayana Gowda (KR Pete), Shivaram Hebbar (Yellapur) and Mahesh Kumatahalli (Athani). The bye-elections are slated for December 5 and vote counting is on December 9. With rebels suffering the ire of their constituents, BJP insiders say that there are doubts about these candidates winning the bye-polls Trouble in Mandya In Mandya’s KR Pete, former JD(S) rebel, who is now the BJP’s candidate, Narayana Gowda has obtained police protection, fearing backlash from angry constituents and JD(S) workers. KR Pete has for long been a bastion of the JD(S) and Narayana Gowda has been elected as the MLA of this constituency for two terms – in 2013 and 2018. However, ever since he began making statements against JD(S) supremo, HD Deve Gowda, anger has been brewing among his own constituents, BJP sources say. The fallout was evident when constituents attacked him with slippers outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Mandya, when Narayana Gowda had gone to file his nomination on November 18. Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister JC Madhuswamy, who was with Narayana Gowda also got hit with slippers. Narayana Gowda has also been at the receiving end of criticism from his own constituents during his campaign and hence, he has been provided with security personnel to ensure his safety. BJP insiders say that many KR Pete’s residents are affiliated to the JD(S) and by speaking against one of the tallest leaders from the Vokkaliga community, Narayana Gowda may have got himself into a position of disadvantage. Narayana Gowda began speaking against Deve Gowda when he and other rebels were staying in Mumbai. “Deve Gowda is trying to sabotage me. Why are you (Deve Gowda) trying to stamp out honest leaders? Please leave us alone… He cannot stand it when people from the Vokkaliga community apart from his family members to gain popularity,” Narayana Gowda had said in July. BJP insiders now concede, “No candidate has won elections in Mandya by speaking ill of Deve Gowda. With Narayana Gowda fearing for his safety, it does not build confidence in the voters about electing him.” Backlash in Athani and Yellapur In several villages in Belagavi’s Athani, residents have erected boards saying ‘no entry for rebel leaders’. This board was also put up in disqualified MLA Mahesh Kumatahalli’s hometown – Telasanga village. “Athani is the land of Lord Shiva. There is no place for people who sold their post as legislator for money,” the board reads in Kumatahalli’s hometown. The board was erected with a picture of former Lokayukta Santosh Hegde, who was responsible for exposing the multi-crore mining scam allegedly perpetrated by the Reddy brothers in Ballari. BJP sources say that constituents of Athani were unhappy as Mahesh Kumatahlli was lodged in the hotel in Mumbai, when floods had ravaged Belagavi. “The compensation amount is taking time to reach the flood victims and this has led to anti-incumbency in several parts of Athani,” the BJP source says. The situation is similar in Yellapur, where rebel leader Shivaram Hebbar’s convoy was gheraoed in Ajjarani village on November 27. Villagers shouted slogans against Hebbar and questioned him as to why he did not visit the constituency when the floods had affected the villagers. Hebbar was among the rebels who was in Mumbai when the floods occurred. The local BJP cadre too have rebelled against its own candidate. In Ajjani, BJP workers also blamed Hebbar for the party’s defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections. The local rebellion and anti-incumbency have put Shivaram Hebbar at a disadvantage, BJP sources say. “We have BJP leaders with good reputations campaigning for these rebels. In Gujarat, Maharashtra and Telangana, the rebels were defeated and this has become a concern for the party and constituents are openly saying they will defeat Shivaram Hebbar and Mahesh Kumatahalli. We are banking on the Modi factor to win,” the BJP leader says.    

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Heavy rains with lightning expected at isolated places in K’taka including Bengaluru

Weather

In Bengaluru, Monday and Tuesday have been forecast to be generally cloudy with a few spells of rain, accompanied by fog and mist in the morning.

TNM Staff

The Meteorological Department in Bengaluru on Monday issued a heavy rainfall and thunderstorm alert for parts of south and coastal Karnataka.  According to the IMD forecast, heavy rainfall is likely to occur at isolated places Kodagu, Hassan, Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Chamarajanagar districts of South Interior Karnataka and all the three districts of Coastal Karnataka— Udupi, Dakshina and Uttara Kannada. Thunderstorm accompanied by lightning is likely to occur at isolated places over all the districts of Coastal Karnataka and South Interior Karnataka. The south interior region comprises Ballari, Bengaluru Rural, Bengaluru Urban, Chamaraja Nagar, Chikkaballapura, Chikkamagaluru, Chitradurga, Davanagere, Hassan, Kodagu, Kolar, Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara, Shivamogga and Tumakuru. Following three days of isolated rainfall, the two regions were expected to experience dry weather on Friday and Saturday, an IMD official said. However, north interior Karnataka, comprising 11 districts, has been forecast to receive scattered rainfall on Monday, to be followed by isolated downpours and dry weather on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In Bengaluru, Monday and Tuesday have been forecast to be generally cloudy with a few spells of rain, accompanied by fog and mist in the morning. The city is expected to record a minimum temperature of 19.9 degrees Celsius and a maximum temperature of 23.3 degrees Celsius on Monday, with an expected rainfall of 6.9 mm, a Met official said. On Sunday, no rainfall was recorded in coastal Karnataka while only 0.2 mm downpour was registered in Koppal district in north interior Karnataka. Except for Mysuru in south interior Karnataka, all other districts received rainfall on Sunday. Kolar recorded the highest rainfall at 9.6 mm. However, no station in the state received heavy rainfall in the last 24 hours. Bengaluru registered 5.5 mm rainfall on Sunday.  (with IANS inputs)  

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To increase passenger capacity, Bengaluru metro adds more cars to its Green Line trains

Transport

While three-car trains carry 975 passengers at a time, the six-car trains carry 2,000 passengers.

TNM Staff

In what will be a boost to Bengaluru’s metro rail usage, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has converted two three-car trains to six-car trains on the Green Line (the Nagasandra-Yelachenahalli route) from Monday. With this, the number of six-car trains is now eight.  Out of the 18 trains plying the Nagasandra-Yelachenahalli route, the rest 10 are three-car. All 18 trains on the Purple line (Baiyappanahalli to Mysuru Road) are six-car trains.  Passengers plying the Green Line route have been complaining of crowding during peak hours as the capacity of the trains have only increased partially since the operations began, while all trains on the Purple Line have been converted to six-car trains.   Until June 2018, all Namma Metro trains plying in the city consisted of three coaches with a total capacity of 975 passengers at a given time. This caused a space crunch during peak hours. The six-car train, in comparison, can accommodate as many as 2,000 passengers. The six-car trains are expected to ease the rush hour journeys. The first compartment is reserved for women in all six-car trains. This additional capacity is also expected to increase the average daily ridership of the Bengaluru metro, which is now at around 4.54 lakh across the Purple and Green Lines.  While the Green Line between Nagasandra and Yelachenahalli spans 24.22 km, the Purple Line between Baiyyappanahalli and Mysore Road runs for 18.08 km. However, ridership has been consistently higher for the Purple Line than the Green Line. Recently, the metro had reached its highest ridership on the eve of Deepavali when more than 4.83 lakh people used the metro. Out of these, the Purple Line recorded 2.63 lakh passengers, while the Green Line saw 2.19 lakh passengers.  By March 2020, the metro rail authority is expecting to ready 50 six-car trains for the two lines together.

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4 killed in accident near Bengaluru as drunk two-wheeler rider tries to overtake truck

Accident

Police said that the truck driver had fled after the accident.

TNM Staff

A truck ran over four persons including a Bengaluru-based businessman and his wife, in an accident that involved two scooters on the Tumakuru-Doddaballapura Road on Sunday afternoon. Satish (54) and his wife (Shantamma), were on their way home in Someshwar Badavane on their Honda Activa on Sunday afternoon when a truck driver tried to avoid another scooter, that was trying to overtake him and rammed into the Activa, TOI reported. Manjunath S (35) and Narasimha Murthy M (32), both painters from Ajjanakatte village in Doddaballapura, were trying to overtake the truck when the accident took place at around 1.45 pm at Menasi village.   Bengaluru Rural SP, Sajeeth told TNM that Shanthamma and Satish had gone for a family function and were on their way back home, when the incident occurred. “The truck, and two scooters were travelling in the same direction and were coming from Dobbaspet. Satish and Shanthamma were riding on the Activa and Manjunath and Narasimhamurthy were on a Yamaha Fascino scooter. The two men on the Yamaha were drunk,” he said. SP Sajeeth said that Manjunath was riding the Yamaha scooter and tried to overtake the truck from the right side. The truck driver tried to make way for Manjunath’s scooter to pass. However, he did not notice the Activa at the tailend on the left and hit the scooter. The Honda Activa came under the wheels of the truck and the couple was crushed to death, SP Sajeeth added. Manjunath, who tried to overtake the truck also lost control of the two-wheeler and rammed into the truck. His vehicle also came under the truck’s wheels and the two men on the scooter too died on the spot, he added. “Manjunath and Narasimhamurthy had gone to a friend’s house in a nearby village. The two men had also hit a pedestrian near a petrol pump nearby. We contacted their friends who confirmed that the two men were drunk,” he added. “The truck driver had left the spot by the time we arrived. We are tracking him down and will make an arrest soon,” SP Sajeeth added.    

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‘BJP will win bye-polls in all 15 constituencies’: CM Yediyurappa

Politics

Speaking at a campaign in Shivajinagar, the CM also rubbished claims of a possible Congress-JD(S) alliance post the bye-polls.

PTI

Ahead of the bye-elections which will be held in Karnataka on December 5, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Sunday asserted that the BJP’s candidates in all the 15 assembly constituencies going to polls would all be victorious. "People will give them the answer, once the results are out Congress and JD(S) will realise that people are with us (BJP)," Yediyurappa said. Speaking to reporters during campaign in poll bound Shivajinagar assembly segment here, he said, he was 100 per cent confident that BJP candidates would win all 15 constituencies going for by-elections. The senior BJP leader also rubbished claims of a possible post bye-poll alliance between Congress and JD(S) leaders in Karnataka. “Such talks don’t have any value. Those who are insane are saying such things and it doesn’t have value,” he said to a query about the possibility of a coalition between the BJP’s opponent parties. Sounding upbeat after forming a coalition government in neighboring Maharashtra, the Congress in Karnataka made it clear that it was not averse to joining hands with JD(S) once again, in case the ruling BJP fails to garner required number of seats to remain in majority, after December 5 bypolls. JD(S) leaders have already dropped enough hits about the party being open to such a possibility. Later in the day, speaking to media in Belagavi, Yediyurappa said, 100 per cent there would be political polarisation in the state after the bypolls as claimed by the Congress, as they would bite the dust and remain in opposition, while BJP would continue to govern the state for remaining 3.5 years. "Once the results are out on December 9 it will be clear, people will teach a lesson to Congress and JD(S) leaders. People have decided that Yediyurappa should be given an opportunity for remaining 3.5 years," he said, adding Congress and its leader Siddaramaiah were "day dreaming" about coming to power and becoming Chief Minister. The ruling BJP, led by Yediyurappa needs to win at least six seats in the bypolls to 15 constituencies to remain in a majority in the 224-member assembly, which would still have two vacant seats-- Maski and R R Nagar. Among 15 constituencies going to the bypolls, 12 were held by Congress and three by JD(S), whose coalition government collapsed due to rebellion by the disqualified MLAs. With winning majority of seats being crucial for the government's survival, BJP has fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators who joined the party as its candidates from their respective constituencies.

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Bengaluru man, 2 others arrested for abducting cousin for Rs 50 lakh ransom

Crime

Moin Khan was allegedly upset with his father and uncle for not allowing him to take over the management of the family restaurant.

TNM Staff

The Bengaluru Police on Sunday arrested a 32-year-old man for allegedly abducting his 13-year-old cousin and demanding a ransom of Rs 50 lakh. The Banaswadi police, who nabbed Moin Khan, rescued the boy within 12 hours of receiving the ransom call. Moin Khan was allegedly upset with his father and uncle for not allowing him to take over management of running their family restaurant. An aspiring hotelier, Moin Khan allegedly decided to set up his own business with the ransom money, TOI reported. The Banaswadi Police arrested Moin Khan and two autorickshaw drivers, Ayaz (35) and Mubarak (30) for allegedly assisting Moin in the abduction. The little boy is the son of Javed Ali, Moin’s uncle. At around 2.30 pm on Saturday, allegedly upon Moin’s instructions, Ayaz and Mubarak drove a car and stopped at the street where the boy’s house is located. While he was playing outside, Ayaz and Mubarak allegedly asked him the directions to the family restaurant and asked the boy if he would guide them. The boy allegedly got into the car and the duo took him to a house in KG Halli, The Hindu reported. Ayaz and Mubarak then called Javed Ali and informed him that his son had been kidnapped and demanded a ransom of Rs 50 lakh, The Hindu reported. Banaswadi Police say that Javed Ali initially disregarded the phone call as a prank and did not believe Ayaz and Mubarak. However, a few minutes after the phone call, Javed received a message on WhatsApp, which contained the picture of his son and a ransom demand. The message also instructed Javed to pay the ransom of Rs 50 lakh within 12 hours. An unsuspecting Javed reached out to Moin Khan for help and the duo went to Banaswadi Police Station and filed a complaint. “The accused was trying to mislead the investigation. To divert us from suspecting him, he kept misleading the probe,” Banaswadi police told TNM. The Banaswadi Police formed three teams under ACP Ravi Prasad and began checking Javed’s call record details. After finding the number, they extracted call records of the abductors’ phones and found that they were in touch with someone within the police station,” The Hindu reported. The Banaswadi police immediately took Moin Khan into custody and began interrogating him on the suspicion that he contracted the abduction. By 5.30 pm, Moin had given up the boy’s location to the police. The Banaswadi Police reached the spot in KG Halli, where the boy was held captive. Mubarak allegedly tried to assault the cops when they opened fire and injured his leg. According to the TOI report, Moin’s father and Javed had allegedly refrained from handing over the responsibility of running the business to Moin. He allegedly promised Rs 3 lakh to Ayaz and Mubarak and had decided to open his own restaurant with the ransom money. Moin allegedly offered the names of Javed’s rivals by giving the police information about former employees of the restaurant, who may have held a grudge against Javed. Moin, Ayaz and Mubarak have been booked under sections 359 (kidnapping), 186 (obstructing a public servant from performing duty) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC.  

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42-year-old US national surrenders for shooting Indian man in California

Crime

Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Saturday visited the family of 25-year-old Abhishek, who lived in Mysuru.

Soumya Chatterjee

Two days after 25-year-old Mysuru man Abhishek Sudesh Bhat was shot dead in California in the United States, police have arrested a suspect after he himself turned him in. The accused has been identified as 42-year-old Eric Devon Turner, reported San Bernardino Sun. The reason or motive for the crime is yet to be ascertained. San Bernardino police are yet to give a formal statement other than the arrest was made after Eric turned himself in. Abhishek was studying for his Masters degree in Computer Science from California State University (CSU) in San Bernardino and worked part-time in a motel. Multiple reports said that Abhishek was killed as he had objected to Eric overstaying on his property. His colleagues in the establishment had found him lying in a pool of blood at around 11:30 pm local time. Also read: Indian man studying in California shot dead by unknown assailant It was earlier reported that he had completed a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from Vidya Vikas Institute of Engineering and Technology in Mysuru and had shifted to the US around 18 months ago to pursue higher education. He was president of Kuvempunagar in Mysuru and is survived by his family comprising of his father Sudesh Chand, who is a yoga instructor at the Upanishad Yoga Centre in Kuvempunagar, and mother, Nandini Aithal, who is a housewife. Speaking to Star of Mysore, “After killing Abhishek, the killer fled towards Los Angeles in a vehicle and efforts are on to nab him,” Ramnath, a member of the family said. He added that the local police in the US have informed the family that the post mortem procedures will take another eight days and further details about the cause of death will only emerge after December 9. The family was visited by Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu on Saturday who assured that the government will help in every possible way. The family has expressed their wish to carry out the final rites there itself but they are yet to be given a go-ahead by the US and Indian authorities. Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha had also offered help and assured that he had held talks with top leaders of the government to expedite the family’s passage to the US.

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