Pedestrian safety in Bengaluru: The daily risks of walking in the city

A 2017 study found that 90% of accidents involving pedestrians in Bengaluru occurred when they were trying to cross the road.

Alithea Stephanie Mounika

Have you ever stood at the side of the road trying to get across but motorists keep whizzing past? Or peacefully walking on the footpath when out of nowhere, a bike honks at you and nearly runs you over? For pedestrians in Bengaluru, each day is an urban obstacle course whether it's encroachments on footpaths, a lack of zebra crossings or ruthless drivers.  Throughout India, pedestrians are among the worst affected by traffic accidents, according to 2018 national data on traffic accidents. In Karnataka itself, there were more than 1,500 pedestrians killed in a fatal road accidents last year, and country-wide, there was a whopping 22,656 pedestrians killed in a road accident in the same period.  Injuries caused by a vehicle hitting a pedestrian were much higher: Nearly 65,000 pedestrians were reported to be injured last year, according to the 2018 study from the Ministry of Transportation. A 2017 study by Bengaluru’s Footpath Initiative, a community group advocating pedestrian safety, found that 90% of accidents involving pedestrians occurred when they were trying to cross the road. TNM looked at some of the common issues that’s turned Bengaluru into an unfriendly city for pedestrians.  Absence of footpaths The problem begins with a lack of footpaths for people to walk on, forcing them to traverse along the road instead. While there’s no specific data for roads with broken or absent footpaths in the city, the situation is bad enough that it prompted a Public Interest Litigation from Vijayan Menon of the Citizen’s Action Forum. He demanded that the city’s municipal corporation, the BBMP, be liable to give compensation to those who are adversely affected by the state of the roads. The High Court of Karnataka ruled favorably, but at the time of writing, compensation is still not accessible. Footpaths, when available, are dangerous too Even when footpaths are usable, they’re still often deemed unsafe. Bikers frequently use them to avoid traffic jams, cars casually park on them, and the dumping of construction waste on footpaths is rampant.  Though footpath riding is a major problem in the city, the violation often goes unchecked. In gridlocked traffic, TNM observed that bikes were seen riding on the footpath on the busiest roads. But the daily data put out by the Bangalore traffic police shows that 30 cases of footpath riding were booked on December 4, and 14 cases on December 6 — a small number when considered the number of cases that likely occur throughout the city.   Poor road conditions Bad roads across the city, in need of urgent repair, aggravates the problem. Motorists swerve to avoid potholes and breaks in the road, which makes the road unsafe for both motorists and pedestrians. Pedestrians are often treated to the ire of rash drivers: People honk at and abuse people trying to cross the road or for being too slow. Drivers are also often impatient, preventing older persons and children from crossing the road. Some motorists rarely brake for crossers, and those who dare to cross their path are at risk of being run over. All this increases the risk to people’s lives, for the simple act of trying to exist in a city. Missing zebra crossings It’s true that jaywalking — a violation in which people try to cross outside zebra crossings — occurs throughout the city. However, TNM has observed that in many places in the city, zebra crossings have become worn out and unclear. There is an urgent need for roads to be clearly marked with zebra crossings so that both drivers and pedestrians know where people are supposed to cross, making the road safer for all. Right of way for pedestrians, and the way forward It’s important to remember that roads are for people, not just vehicles. Pedestrians have every right to be on the roads.  According to an observation by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, “All persons have (the) right to walk on the road and are entitled to the exercise of reasonable care on the part of the person driving the vehicle. Therefore, it cannot be said that the persons who are using the road for walking … use the road at their own risk.” The Motor Vehicles Act (1988) states that it is the duty of the driver to slow down when approaching a pedestrian crossing (Rule 8). Though some government initiatives, like the TenderSure roads in the city, have allocated a significant proportion of the road for pedestrians, activists say it’s time that more such initiatives are taken up in every part of the city.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2LHbqHu
via IFTTT

Bengaluru illustrator Alicia Souza to release first book of drawings

Book

Alicia’s debut book ‘Dearest George’ is set to release in January.

Neetha John

You know her through her Instagram and Facebook pages, and through quirky designs on cups, t-shirts and calendars. Alicia Souza, the beloved Bengaluru-based illustrator and artist, has gained a fan following for her fun cartoons, often about her own life. Now, with her debut book Dearest George, a collection of illustrations set to release in January, Alicia is giving readers more of her signature illustrations to enjoy.  Dearest George began as a website that Alicia created to announce her marriage to her husband, George in 2017. Alicia had always turned parts of her life into drawings, and “when George and I started dating, it was just another aspect of my life that I started drawing about,” she tells TNM (through interruptions from Henry Oats, her pet guinea pig). Since she knew she didn’t want a wedding, she created the website as a surprise for George. Over the years, it has featured funny drawings of their life as a couple, which came to be adored by thousands of followers on social media. Her pet dog Charlie is also a frequent figure in her illustrations.  The idea for Dearest George struck her after Penguin approached her with a different project, which she ultimately did not pursue. The book is a compilation of the drawings she’s made since the beginning of the website, as well as a few new additions. “I started drawing a lot about him and I had like, a LOT of drawings!” It is the love and the response she got through the website that gave her the idea of turning her illustrations on life as a couple into a book.   Growing up, Alicia had considered herself to be a ‘weird’ kid, and even later in life, she saw herself as an introvert who shied away from meeting new people — always been a teetotaller, non-smoker and nowhere near the party scene, she recalls.  So how did the shy introverted kid come to be a familiar face through her adorable cartoon avatar? "I have adapted to the kind of life I have to lead,” she says. “I just kind of came out of my shell. I used to be super shy!” Though she doesn’t believe introverts need to change or become extroverts to succeed, she says, “But I do think you have to step out of your shell if you want things to change. In business, you have to meet people a lot. It’s not a sacrifice, but it’s a change you have to make within yourself. It leads to so many new experiences, and you end up doing things you never thought you would do.” She calls herself a realist who finds it pointless looking at the drab side of things. When the world is filled with harsh realities, she believes that it works out better if you realise that “you are standing on the greener grass”.  Alicia is very conscious about not drawing about the things that are a downer. “You see the news, it’s really harsh and you walk on the road and you know the potholes are really crap,” she said, “And if I didn't think of it in a nice way, it will just put me in a crappier mood.”  She emphasises on the necessity to be diligent — and to respect one’s work and oneself.  A morning person, she has always respected time more than anything. She starts and ends her work quite early, leaving her with enough time to do the other things she loves doing, such as cooking. “Making that actual effort to make sure that you do those small things that you absolutely love doing inevitably makes life and every single day kind of amazing. I think that’s cool! Doing what you like and doing it passionately because you like it is cool!”  About battling the blues in her life, she says that she  doesn’t like to draw about the things that seem too sad. “I think if I do draw about it, I will try to put a positive spin on it. Because that is how I deal with things that go wrong,” she said. 

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2sifx60
via IFTTT

Making of 'Katha Sangama': 7 directors on how Kannada anthology film was conceptualised

Interview

“This is not a regular commercial film and we expected extreme reactions. I told the team to not take praise or brickbats to heart," says co-producer Rishab Shetty.

Subha J Rao

Watching Katha Sangama is like being part of seven timelines, all at once. There’s a rain-drenched backyard where a surprise has fallen flat; a stuffy office space that’s going to see spectacular action; a lighthouse hugging the coast where someone time travels; drama in a closed room and a clash of ideologies; a barber shop where a man learns the need to differentiate between duty and profession; a desolate road that hugs the ocean where someone learns to judge character; and the vast roads of Bengaluru where kind people help a lady who is lost. Seven stories unfurl in the anthology put together by director-actor Rishab Shetty, who has also co-produced this as an ode to one of the finest filmmakers in Karnataka — Puttanna Kanagal. The film derives its name from one of his creations, an anthology based on three stories. The initial idea was to do five stories, and that Rishab, Rakshit Shetty and Hemanth Rao would direct one short each, and two would be offered to newcomers. “Somewhere down the line, I felt that if we were pushing the envelope, we might as well introduce new filmmakers. We removed ourselves from the project. I was the last one out,” smiles Rishab. Human emotions are the linking theme, and Rishab’s team decided to market the anthology, focussing on multiplexes. “This is not a regular commercial film and we expected extreme reactions. I told the team to not take praise or brickbats to heart," he says. Rishab was clear he would restrict his role to that of a mentor: “I never had any mentors, did not know right from wrong, and learnt on the job. I wish these young filmmakers don’t suffer those 12 years that I did before I found my voice.” Here, the seven directors speak about their films. Chandrajith Belliappa, 28, Rainbow Land “I grew up in Madikeri, in an environment where every little moment of joy mattered, and that’s what I wanted to capture with this short,” says Chandrajith, one of the writers of Kirik Party and the Rakshit Shetty-starrer Avane Sriman Narayana. This was originally a story he posted on his blog, and it translated beautifully on screen. Kishore plays an affectionate father who works magic in the backyard. But, despite the rain washing away the joy from his face, he eventually smiles. Without much noise, the short establishes the father as the one the child turns to for small talk, and cuddles before sleeping. “Glad that came across. Many fathers told me after watching the short that they tried to fulfil ignored requests, even something as small as a jalebi. In many ways, this is an ode to my parents.” Karan Ananth, 29, Sathya Katha Prasanga The sheer audacity with which this short carried the audience along showcased the immense possibilities of the genre. The story of Sathyamurthy, a widower (a brilliant Prakash Belawadi) about to retire from a monotonous government job, was infused with magical realism, and fused two strains of thought: that of Kalidasa and Sathyamurthy. “I was researching for a project and wondered how monotony could turn people into extreme versions of themselves. And, like Kalidasa is liberated by a goddess, Sathyamurty is liberated by a woman," he says. As in Rainbow Land, the man here cooks and shops for groceries, and it’s not made a big deal of. Karan used to assist documentary filmmakers before he co-produced the 2018 film Gultoo. He’s now working on a feature to be co-written by his wife, Madhuri N Rao. Shashi Kumar, 31, Girgitle A man sets out to the beach by the Kaup Lighthouse, where his lover is waiting for him. They have a tiff, and he falls into the swirling ocean below. And then, wakes up. He walks back home, goes out to buy grocery and chats with the storekeeper. Now, play this on loop and notice minute differences and the time travel. That’s what this Raj B Shetty starrer is about. “I wanted to do something related to science fiction and chanced upon this story by Jayanth Seege, who directed the Kannada film 96. I liked this idea of time travelling without a machine. Many still believe the full moon day has a certain energy, and I tapped into that, and decided to set the story along the coast. Raj Shetty and Anirudh Mahesh’s dialogues are a huge plus in ensuring that while lines are being repeated, it does not get boring,” says Shashi, who was pleasantly surprised when a majority of the audience figured out even some technical aspects of the film. Rahul PK, 33, Uttara What happens when two people with opposing ideologies are stuck in a room, and end up having a conversation? Sometimes, that conversation can be the answer in itself. And, that’s what Uttara is about. To Rahul’s credit, despite the fact that speaking about the field of news can get noisy, the conversation is civil, and the anger simmers, never explodes. “I wanted a discussion, and I did not want to paint anyone in definitive colours. I read an article about how we are engineered to think in a particular way, thanks to social media trends. And so, I came up with the story of a peddler of news and a teacher who questions his stand,” says Shashi, who has been assisting at Paramvah Studios, and has also worked on Ulidavaru Kandanthe. Jamadagni Manoj, 36, Paduvarahalli Paduvarahalli is the only short in the anthology that found a place after it was made, and did a round of the festival circuit, winning more than 20 awards. Set in pre-Independent India, it speaks of how a police official and a barber are caught in a battle of duty versus profession, and is split into chapters. Ultimately, the barber realises the two are different, and steps back. The film is based on Colombian writer Hernando Tellez’s Just Lather, That’s All. “Seventy-plus years after Independence, it has been reduced to a fancy status update on social media or something kids celebrate in school. I thought we should know the price we paid for freedom. We considered three scenarios: pre-Independence, the Naxal movement and Emergency. The concept is that everyone must learn to be honest in their job, and not judge. Yes, there are just two characters and the only ‘weapon’ around is the shaving blade, but the conflict is the drama. How will someone look at a cop who works with the British and has killed his friends?” asks Manoj, who has plans to make a feature based on this, and is looking for ‘tasteful’ producers. Kiranraj K, 30, Sagara Sangama This short that screams about discrimination based on looks is sans dialogue! Kiranraj, who has made another short Kabbina Haalu, wanted to treat the concept of a woman (Hariprriya) travelling to defend her doctorate in psychiatry but judging someone who comes to help her, differently. And so, he looked up to his first inspiration — Charlie Chaplin. “Silent films are my favourite genre, because they transcend language and can appeal to all,” says Kiranraj. The cast, like the other shorts, is minimal — there are just three people: a man, a woman and a dog. The team searched for months before finding Rumi, the dog who instils fear. Rishab Shetty finally came on board his pet project, as actor. “I did not want anyone identifying him, and hence that look. I wanted that the woman should feel trapped even though she’s on a long, tarred road, and we managed to find this stretch to shoot in Dhanushkodi. This is also where two oceans meet: the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean, and it went with the theme of my short," says Kiranraj, who is now making 777 Charlie with Rakshit Shetty. Jai Shankar, 28, Lacchavva Paravva, who you might have seen in Thithi, playing Kaveri’s mother, returns to the big screen as Lacchavva, an adorable woman from rural Karnataka who migrates to Bengaluru and finds herself lost. Ironically, this film was triggered by an incident when Jai Shankar was waiting at a traffic signal to rush someplace when someone asked him for directions. He did not stop. “It still gnaws at me that I did not help,” he says. Another incident, when a friend mixed up the localities of Banaswadi and Basavangudi, found a place in the script too. “The rest of the film is about what I’ve seen and experienced. I’ve spent time with boys who work with packers and movers, and have travelled in similar trains with my mother,” he says. After a lot of recce to get the geography of the localities right, and months of search for Lacchavva, Jai Shankar shot his film. Helping him zero in on Paravva was Thithi screenwriter and Balekempa director Ere Gowda. “Till he directed me to Kurudikere, I searched all over Bengaluru where people from North Karnataka live. I would wait for the trains from there to see if I could find someone who could act. I wanted someone who was so innocent, no one would have the heart to be rude to her,” says the director, who is next writing a full-length feature. 

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/35njULG
via IFTTT

Anti-defection law needs to go – it doesn’t work anyway, just look at Karnataka

Opinion

The Tenth Schedule has not stopped defections because it’s a paper tiger with teeth made of soan papdi.

Ragamalika Karthikeyan

Former Karnataka Speaker Ramesh Kumar who disqualified rebels. Courtesy: PTI

Across India, we love our double-action masala movies. Father and son played by the same actor, with little difference in their mannerisms, may be just a different moustache, yes? We love it when a son who has never met his father but looks identical to him, ends up speaking the same dialogues, or doing the same ‘mass’ actions. Flipping a thundu, tossing a cigarette, laughing a sly laugh... But however similar they are, we know they’re different characters. They have different functions in the story. Appa-hero will thinkify, son-hero will finishify. We, the audience, know that thinkifying and finishifying are not the same thing. In our politics and governance, though, our leaders have muddled up this difference quite nicely, and in doing so, they’ve gone against the very essence of our Constitution prescribing three branches of government. We’re supposed to have a Legislature, Executive, and Judiciary, with distinct functions. But if you look at it, the Legislature and the Executive have become one and the same for all practical reasons. The problem with this is – when the thinkers and do-ers are the same, neither does their job properly. And one of the main obstacles to the Legislature doing its job in India is the anti-defection law – or the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. On paper, the anti-defection law, which came into force in 1985, stops people from jumping parties at the drop of a hat – and punishes them if they do jump parties, by disqualifying them from the House. This applies both to the Parliament and state Assemblies. However, in practice, it’s like canned laughter in a supposedly funny TV show. The law simply doesn’t work in stopping our legislators from defecting. Take the most recent case of defections in Karnataka. Seventeen legislators who belonged to the Congress and JD(S) jumped ship – seemingly in suspended animation for a few weeks, before they officially joined the BJP once the Congress-JD(S) government fell in Karnataka. The Speaker – who is the authority in this case – disqualified them. The legislators went to court to challenge this disqualification, but the court upheld it. However, just a few weeks later, all these rebels save three are back in the Karnataka Assembly – this time representing the BJP. So what was the point of the anti-defection law giving power to parties and the Speaker to “punish” these MLAs for defection? What has essentially happened is a bunch of money and time has been wasted. The court’s time, the Speaker’s time, Karnataka Assembly’s time, your and my time. And a whole lot of money to conduct bye-elections in those constituencies. Further, the law says any court case can only happen when the Speaker takes a decision on disqualification. This has been twisted by political parties in power as well. In Andhra Pradesh, when the TDP was in power, several legislators from YSRCP defected to the TDP; but while YSRCP chief Jagan Mohan Reddy petitioned the then-Speaker several times, no action was taken to disqualify the legislators. The MLAs continued to sit in the House on treasury benches, and the party couldn’t take the issue to court either. In effect, the Tenth Schedule has not stopped defections because it’s a paper tiger with teeth made of soan papdi. And in a vicious and blurry cycle of cause-and-effect, it strengthens and is strengthened by the mixing of the legislature and the executive. Coming back to our double action. Right now, we see little difference between the legislative wing of the government, and the executive wing of the government. That is, the people who are making our laws and those who are implementing our laws are one and the same. The executing is done by people who win a majority of seats in the Parliament or state Assembly. And unlike in other (flawed) democracies like the US, the laws are also made – physically researched and drafted – by the same people. Our legislators have little power to actually “make” any law. Yes, there are provisions to bring in Private Member Legislations – however, the last time any such law was passed when the makers of our Constitution were still alive and present in Parliament. And therefore, the only “powers” our legislators have is voting. They can say yes or no to the laws the government – made of the winning parties – brings in. Except, guess what. They HAVE TO vote according to what they party tells them to do. Because anti-defection. The Tenth Schedule is essentially stopping our MLAs and MPs – who have been voted in by us, to represent us – from thinking independently about the issues that affect us. It stops our legislators from voting according to their conscience, and according to the interests of their constituents – especially in a diverse country like ours where what is good for someone in UP may not be good for someone in Telangana. It turns them into sheep who simply bleat whatever the “whip” says they should. They’re like the extra in a fight scene who stops his bike to stretch his neck up and see what is happening. For a country that spends so much time and money on elections – surely, the people we’ve taken our time and energy to vote for should have more power? And therefore, more responsibility? More Spidey-sense about what the people who put them in Parliament want, and not just what their party wants? I mean, you wouldn’t cast Rajinikanth as father and son in a film, and simply make father-Rajini stand around like a prop in the background, with nothing to contribute to the plot or the action.  Views expressed are the author's own.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/36sWFAh
via IFTTT

Tipu lessons in Karnataka school textbooks to stay, rules expert panel

Education

The committee noted that the lessons on Mysuru would be incomplete without mention of the role Tipu Sultan played.

TNM Staff

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the history of Tipu Sultan being taught to children in schools in Karnataka. Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, had earlier made it clear that they were trying to remove all mention of Tipu Sultan from textbooks. However now, the expert committee which was formed to look into the issue, has decided to retain the lessons and said that nothing would be changed. Noting that the lessons on Mysuru would be incomplete without mention of the role Tipu Sultan played, the panel has decided that it is best to keep the Mysore king’s story in textbooks. Speaking to Daijji World, experts reportedly said that Tipu Sultan played an extremely significant role in the South in the fight against the British Empire. Noting that the king had fought off Britishers in four wars in Mysuru alone, the panel of experts has recommended that the lessons continue to stay in print. The committee reviewing the issue comprised several renowned professors in history who notedthat if Tipu Sultan’s story was dropped from books in Mysuru, a significant part of its history would go missing. In the first week of November, the Department of Primary and Secondary Education decided to form a new committee to discuss whether chapters in school textbooks related to the Mysore king Tipu Sultan should be scrapped or modified. The new committee replaced a previously existing one after the state government received backlash for not including any subject matter experts on the committee. When BJP leader BS Yediyurappa took oath as Chief Minister of the state in July, he had made it clear that he and his government would do “everything they can” to remove mention of the Mysore king Tipu Sultan from textbooks in schools in the state.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/36ulz2x
via IFTTT

Woman delivers baby on train to Bengaluru with help from anganwadi workers on board

News

The women were on the way to Bengaluru to take part in the protests being held for anganwadi workers on Tuesday.

TNM Staff

Image for representation

When Siddamma Kumbar, a native of Kalaburagi district’s Sugur village, boarded a train headed to Bengaluru to take part in a protest for anganwadi workers, she didn’t expect to be called on to help deliver a baby. Siddamma was among scores of other women who were travelling to Bengaluru to join the protest being held for anganwadi workers on Tuesday, according to the Hindu. Travelling on the Udyan Express from Yadgir on the way to Bengaluru, it was around 2 am when the train was nearing Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh and Siddamma was woken up by the wails of a woman who had gone into labour. 25-year-old Geetha and her husband had boarded the train at Saidapur railway station, near Yadgir. Geetha, who was in a very advanced stage of pregnancy, went into labour in the middle of the night. As per the Deccan Herald, Siddamma woke up to the cries of Geetha and figured out that she had gone into labour. She subsequently woke up her colleagues who were also on the train headed to the protest, who then sprung into action to help Geetha. The women used a sari to cordon off part of the compartment and helped Geetha. Malubai, Mahadevi, Anaveeramma, Mallamma, Jyothi, and Basamma were the other anganwadi workers on board who helped Geetha deliver a healthy baby boy. Geetha’s due date was 10 days away when she went into labour on Monday night. Her mother and family waited at the station in Bengaluru to greet the new mother, father and her newborn grandson. All the anganwadi workers hail from Kalaburagi district. While Siddamma hails from Sugur village, the others belong to Nalawar village in the district. Anganwadi workers from across the state are participating in the protests to demand that preschools be started at anganwadi centres. In addition to this, the protestors also want better pay and facilities to be provided as well.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/38rOlT7
via IFTTT

Karnataka Cabinet expansion after Amit Shah clears names: CM Yediyurappa

Politics

Yediyurappa said he would make all the 11 winners ministers as he had promised them for bringing the party back to power.

IANS

The second Cabinet expansion of the over four-month-old BJP government in Karnataka would take place after party chief Amit Shah approved the names to be finalised soon, Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa said on Tuesday. "The Cabinet will be expanded soon after Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi approve the names to be finalised in consultations with the party high command when I go to Delhi in 3-4 days," Yediyurappa told reporters in Bengaluru. As declared on Tuesday after the ruling party won 12 of the 15 Assembly seats in the December 5 bye-elections, Yediyurappa said he would make all the 11 winners ministers as he had promised them for bringing the party back to power. "I am committed to honour the word I have given them for resigning their Assembly seats and joining our party to contest and win on our symbol (Lotus). They have to be rewarded for sacrificing their seats, which led to the fall of the previous JD(S)-Congress coalition government in July," recalled Yediyurappa. The first Cabinet expansion took place on August 20 when 17 BJP legislators, including an independent were inducted, with three as deputy chief ministers. In the 34-member ministry, including the chief minister, 16 cabinet posts are vacant to be filled in the second phase of its expansion. Resignations of 17 rebel legislators, including 14 from the Congress and 3 from the Janata Dal-Secular (JD(S)) in mid-July led to the fall of the 14-month-old coalition government on July 23 after its chief minister H.D. Kumaraswamy lost the confidence motion he moved on July 18 for want of majority in the Assembly. Though former Assembly speaker K.R. Ramesh Kumar disqualified the 17 rebels on July 25-28 for the remaining term of the House that lasts till May 2023, the Supreme Court, however, allowed them to re-contest in the bye-elections on November 13 while upholding their disqualification. Of the 11 winners who defected, 9 are from the Congress and 2 from the JD(S). Two defectors - M.T.B. Nagaraj from the Congress and A.H. Vishwanath from the JD(S) lost in the bye-elections to independent Sharath Kumar Bachegowda and H.P. Manjunath of the Congress. Nagaraj, the richest candidate in the bye-elections was the state housing minister in the previous coalition government. Though independent-turned-Congress defector B.L. Shankar joined the BJP on November 14, he was not given the party ticket to re-contest from Ranibennur in Haveri district. Instead, the party fielded its local leader G. Arun Kumar, who won, defeating K.B. Koliwad of the Congress. In a related development, hectic lobbying began among the ruling party's legislators for grabbing the remaining 5 cabinet posts after 11 posts are filled by the winners. One more Congress defector to the BJP - Munirathna Naidu, is yet to contest as the bye-election to R.R. Nagar in Bengaluru southwest was not held due to litigation in the Karnataka High Court over its results in the May 2018 Assembly polls.

Body 2: 

from Karnataka https://ift.tt/2PByU1R
via IFTTT