With bye-poll victory, BJP records its first-ever win in Karnataka's Mandya

Politics

Narayana Gowda, who emerged victorious, was one of 17 MLAs of the erstwhile JD(S)-Cong coalition who resigned from his post, to make way for the BJP to form a government.

Soumya Chatterjee

PTI

In what was an unprecedented victory for the BJP, former JD(S) MLA KC Narayana Gowda has emerged victorious from the KR Pet Assembly seat in Mandya district. He pipped the JD(S) candidate BL Devaraj by a margin of more than 9,000 votes.  He is one of the 17 MLAs of the erstwhile JD(S)-Congress ruling coalition who resigned from his post to make way for the BJP to form government in the state. Incidentally, this is the same taluk from where Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa hails. However, until now, the BJP which isconsidered to be favoured by LIngayats, had failed to make significant inroads in the Vokkaliga-dominated old Mysuru region. The highest votes recorded by BJP candidates have not even touched 30,000 in the last many Assembly polls. During the 2018 Assembly elections, BJP candidate BC Manju had won only 9,819 votes. Taking special interest in ensuring BJP's victory in KR Pete under which his birthplace Bookanakere comes, Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had deputed his son BY Vijayendra to oversee the election-related activities in the constituency. "It gives me an immense pleasure that Narayana Gowda has won from KR Pete. It is the same place where my village Bookanakere is located and where I was born, but we had never won the election. I congratulate him," Yediyurappa told reporters. Celebrating Gowda's victory, BJP state chief Nalin Kumar Kateel said, "In certain regions such as KR Pete and Chikkaballapura, BJP had never won the election. Mandya had been the JD(S) citadel, but today he (Narayana Gowda) has brought us victory from there". In the 2018 Assembly elections, the JD(S) had won all the eight assembly segments in Mandya district with a substantial population of the dominant Vokkaliga community. (With PTI inputs).

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Karnataka HC orders interim stay on toll collection on Bengaluru-Doddaballapura Road

Civic

The stay order was based on two PILs which argued that users were made to pay toll charges on the highway even though the work was not finished.

TNM Staff

In a relief to road users on the Bengaluru-Doddaballapura Road and residents of Doddaballapur, the Karnataka High Court has put a stay on the collection of till charges on the incomplete highway. In its interim stay order, the High Court has categorically directed the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDCL), which comes under the Public Works Department,  Aarvee Associates Architects Engineers Consultants Pvt. Ltd. (company executing project), and Yelahanka AP Boarder Toll Way Pvt. Ltd, not to collect toll until further orders. The HC stay order on Monday came as the state government was not able to provide full details of the completed works when the permission for collecting toll was granted last year based on the claim that 75% of the work was completed, reported The Hindu.  According to reports, the division bench of Justice Ravi Malimath and Justice M Nagaprasanna, gave this interim order while hearing two public interest litigations on the matter. The petitioners, social activist S Naveen Kumar and advocate G Venkatesh, claim that only 50% of the work was completed, the Times of India reported. Naveen argued in court that collection of toll without the completion of road works was not only illegal but also unconstitutional, added the TOI report. The petitioners contended that 75% of the works were not completed as claimed by the private company (the concessionaire) building the road in its provisional certificate. Based on the PILs, the HC had earlier asked the state government to inquire into the matter. The state government was also asked to explain why permission was granted by the government to allow the private company to collect toll without proper assessment. Replying to this, the government had submitted detailed assessment by engineering consultants but the HC was not satisfied. The government has further asked the state government to independently verify the petitioner’s claim. The state government incidentally failed to reply to the HC’s queries on Monday.

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K’taka HC sets aside reinstatement order of IISc prof accused in sexual harassment case

Controversy

Earlier, a single bench order of the HC had given relief to the professor Giridhar Madras.

TNM Staff

A division bench of the Karnataka High Court has set aside the reinstatement order for IISc professor Giridhar Madras, which was earlier passed by a single judge of the same court. The division bench order came as the court was hearing a writ petition filed by the IISc. Giridhar, a senior faculty of the Chemical Engineering Department, was found guilty of sexual harassment by an internal council in October 2018. Based on this, he was forced to go on compulsory retirement. The probe had started in November 2016 after a PhD student had lodged a complaint that he had made sexually coloured remarks against her and called her repeatedly at night.  Giridhar had approached the HC for relief after he was forced into compulsory retirement by the IISc authorities. Based on his plea, in January 2019,  Justice R Devdas passed an interim order, granting stay on the compulsory retirement. Giridhar had argued in court that the IC should have asked the complainant to present proof such as call and message records, to substantiate her allegations. Claiming that the compulsory retirement awarded to him was based on a show-cause notice drawn from the IC’s inquiry report, Giridhar alleged that it was based on “perceptions” and not proof. Later, the HC in August, 2019, had reinstated him after finding faults with the Internal Committee (IC) and the Disciplinary Authority formed to probe the case.  The order by Justice BP Bajanthri held that the IISc authorities have not followed statutory provisions, like providing a copy of the complaint to the accused. They also reportedly did not stick to the rules mandated for forming an inquiry committee and submission of the report, the court said.  During the course of the hearing, Giridhar told the court that his chances of future employment were hampered because the IISc director had mentioned Giridhar’s name in a press meet. He also alleged personal vendetta on the part of the IISc director.

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Big victory in bye-polls consolidates Yediyurappa's position in BJP

Politics

There has been speculation within a section of party circles and the media about Yediyurappa not completing his full term in office citing his advancing age and also the BJP central leadership allegedly not being keen on continuing with him in the top pos

PTI

The Karnataka bypoll results has consolidated Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's position and boosted his stock within the state BJP along with providing the much needed stability to the government led by him. There was much at stake for the 76-year-old Lingayat strongman in these bypolls, as any adverse results would have led to question marks over his continuation in the post and even his political future, a senior BJP functionary said. Aware of this, the veteran politician went out of the way in ensuring that the party faced the bypolls unitedly and work for the victory of disqualified legislators, who were BJP candidates in the by-elections. The four-time Chief Minister was on a campaign blitz and visited each of the 15 constituencies at least twice to ensure their victory. He publicly announced that they will be made ministers on winning and promised developmental work in their constituencies if voted to power. Amid some reports of rift between him and a section of the party's state leadership under unit president Nalin Kumar Kateel, he ensured that the party rallied together for the bypolls, and even appointed ministers of his cabinet as in-charges to each of the constituencies. He even admonished some party leaders, when cracks developed within over giving tickets to defectors, sidelining party loyalists, and stood by the disqualified by making remarks publicly that it is because of them his government was able to come to power It was no secret he did not have complete say in the cabinet expansion, appointment of three deputy chief ministers and had to run a single member cabinet for over 20 days, a party functionary had recently said, indicating that it is the strong central leadership that calls the shots. There has been speculation within a section of party circles and the media about Yediyurappa not completing his full term in office citing his advancing age and also the BJP central leadership allegedly not being keen on continuing with him in the top post for long. The BJP under the current dispensation under Narendra Modi and Amit Shah have retired several senior party leaders at the age of 75. However, an exception was said to have been made in Yediyurappa's case after the BJP won 25 of 28 Lok Sabha seats during the Lok Sabha election and with an intention to have the saffron party in power in Karnataka. According to some partymen, Yediyurappa may get some respite now for the next three-and-half years -- remainder of his term -- after having ensured the party's victory in the bypolls by winning 12 of the 15 seats, that has provided stability to his four-month-old government. "With most of the new MLAs elected owing their allegiance to Yediyurappa, it seems to have strengthened his position within the party," a senior BJP leader said.

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Joe Kennedy calls on Medicare chief to resign after reports of jewelry claim, PR contracts

The Massachusetts Democrat cited POLITICO's reporting that Seema Verma asked taxpayers to cover the cost of $47,000 in stolen jewelry and other items.

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Supreme Court leaves in place Kentucky abortion restriction

The justices did not offer an explanation for their decision to refuse to hear a challenge to a lower court ruling upholding the restrictions.

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‘Transfer case to Bengaluru’: Nithyananda rape case whistleblower moves HC

Crime

Currently, Nithyananda is suspected to have left the country through illegal means, and has been skipping trial since mid-2018.

Soumya Chatterjee

Lenin Karuppan, a former disciple, who exposed the controversial self-styled godman in 2010, has moved the High Court seeking transfer of the rape case against Nithyananda to Bengaluru from the Additional District and Session Court in Ramanagara. Justice G Narendra, who was hearing the transfer petition in the High Court, on Monday issued a notice to the state government in connection with the absconding rape-accused Nithyananda. He also sought a reply from the state government about the Nithyananda’s whereabouts -- he has been skipping court since mid-2018. The transfer petition will next be heard again on December 12. Nithyananda is facing trial under Sections 376 (rape), 377 (unnatural sex), 420 (cheating), 114 (criminal abetment), 201 (disappearance of evidence, giving false information), 120B (criminal conspiracy) and other charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Since the complaint was filed in 2010, Nithyananda has been arrested twice and been granted bail from higher courts, successfully delaying the start of the trial. Ultimately, the victims approached the apex court to seek justice. In 2014, the Supreme Court had dismissed a petition by Nithyananda seeking to quash the chargesheet in the rape case against him. He continued to file petitions to delay the proceedings and submitted documents claiming innocence, including a fabricated potency report. Currently, Nithyananda is suspected to have left the country through illegal means. The Ministry of External Affairs on Friday stated that it has cancelled his passport, and rejected his application for a fresh one. The MEA stated that his passport was due for renewal in September 2018 but was cancelled much before that and was not renewed. Amongst other criminal cases against him, Nithyananda is wanted by Gujarat Police as well in connection with a child abuse and abduction case. In late November, two of his associates were arrested, and Nithyananda was booked under sections 365 (abduction), 344 (wrongful confinement), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code, and under Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act. Ramanagara court proceedings Meanwhile, the Ramanagara trial court on Monday did not allow a petition to issue a non-bailable warrant against Nithyananda. In fact, sources claimed the court allowed the exemption petition filed by Nithyananda’s advocate, despite objections from the Public Prosecutor. The trial court was also informed that Lenin has filed a transfer petition in the Karnataka High Court.  Curiously, the trial court which has allowed exemption petition for Nithyananda was insistent on Lenin deposing before court and submit evidence, failing which the court warned of contempt proceedings. The trial is set to continue on Tuesday as well.

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