News Analysis India

Tag: Karnataka

  • 52 new faces in first BJP list of 189 in Karnataka

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: After hectic consultations for several days, the ruling BJP on late Tuesday night announced its first list of 189 candidates for Karnataka with 52 new faces, two days before the nomination process is scheduled to start. The second list is expected in a day or two.

    In a bid to make the fight tough for the Congress’ chief ministerial aspirants, the BJP fielded revenue minister R Ashoka against state Congress president D K Shivakumar in his pocket-borough Kanakapura and housing minister V Somanna against former CM Siddaramaiah in Varuna, which the Congress considers a safe seat.

    Ashoka will also contest from his Padmanabhanagar seat in Bengaluru, while Somanna from Chamarajnagar. “In the last elections, Siddaramaiah won with a narrow margin (in Badami against B Sriramulu) and this time we are 100% sure of defeating him,” BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said while releasing the first list in Delhi.

    Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will seek re-election from his home constituency Shiggaon in Haveri district. Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra will contest from the Shikaripura segment that was represented by the former — party’s Lingayat strongman for nearly four decades.

    Former IPS officer Bhaskar Rao, who recently left the AAP to join the BJP will be the party’s candidate from Chamarajpet in Bengaluru to take on Congress’s Zameer Ahmed Khan, while former IAS officer Anil Kumar will take former deputy CM G Paremeshwara in Koratagere in Tumakuru.

    The party is fielding 52 new faces to overcome anti-incumbency, while also retaining most of the heavyweights, including turncoats who had helped the BJP form its government in 2019. The BJP had adopted a similar strategy in the UP and Gujarat polls.

    The party, which is also banking on the state government’s reservation policy revamp, is fielding 30 from Scheduled Castes (SC), 16 from Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 32 from Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The numbers may increase when BJP releases names for the remaining segments.

    The list was prepared after a detailed consultation process involving 25,000 party workers from the assembly segments, Singh and Pradhan said.

    Shettar furious; Savadi droppedThere was some heartburn among the senior BJP leaders, who went public expressing their displeasure. While former CM Jagadish Shettar rejected a suggestion to make way for a new face, former deputy CM Laxman Savadi appealed to the high command to reconsider its decision to drop him

    NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: After hectic consultations for several days, the ruling BJP on late Tuesday night announced its first list of 189 candidates for Karnataka with 52 new faces, two days before the nomination process is scheduled to start. The second list is expected in a day or two.

    In a bid to make the fight tough for the Congress’ chief ministerial aspirants, the BJP fielded revenue minister R Ashoka against state Congress president D K Shivakumar in his pocket-borough Kanakapura and housing minister V Somanna against former CM Siddaramaiah in Varuna, which the Congress considers a safe seat.

    Ashoka will also contest from his Padmanabhanagar seat in Bengaluru, while Somanna from Chamarajnagar. “In the last elections, Siddaramaiah won with a narrow margin (in Badami against B Sriramulu) and this time we are 100% sure of defeating him,” BJP national general secretary Arun Singh said while releasing the first list in Delhi.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will seek re-election from his home constituency Shiggaon in Haveri district. Former chief minister B S Yediyurappa’s son B Y Vijayendra will contest from the Shikaripura segment that was represented by the former — party’s Lingayat strongman for nearly four decades.

    Former IPS officer Bhaskar Rao, who recently left the AAP to join the BJP will be the party’s candidate from Chamarajpet in Bengaluru to take on Congress’s Zameer Ahmed Khan, while former IAS officer Anil Kumar will take former deputy CM G Paremeshwara in Koratagere in Tumakuru.

    The party is fielding 52 new faces to overcome anti-incumbency, while also retaining most of the heavyweights, including turncoats who had helped the BJP form its government in 2019. The BJP had adopted a similar strategy in the UP and Gujarat polls.

    The party, which is also banking on the state government’s reservation policy revamp, is fielding 30 from Scheduled Castes (SC), 16 from Scheduled Tribes (ST), and 32 from Other Backward Classes (OBCs). The numbers may increase when BJP releases names for the remaining segments.

    The list was prepared after a detailed consultation process involving 25,000 party workers from the assembly segments, Singh and Pradhan said.

    Shettar furious; Savadi dropped
    There was some heartburn among the senior BJP leaders, who went public expressing their displeasure. While former CM Jagadish Shettar rejected a suggestion to make way for a new face, former deputy CM Laxman Savadi appealed to the high command to reconsider its decision to drop him

  • Never thought BJP govt will give me Padma award; PM Modi proved me wrong: Karnataka Muslim artist

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Veteran Bidri craft artist from Karnataka Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri, who received Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was wrong in believing that the BJP government would not honour him with the prestigious civilian award.

    After the ceremony to confer the Padma award was over at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the prime minister along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah interacted with the awardees.

    When Modi wished Quadri and shook hands, he told the prime minister: “I was expecting a Padma award during the UPA government, but I did not get it. When your government came, I thought now the BJP government will not give me any award. But you have proved me wrong. I expressed my sincere gratitude to you”.

    The prime minister reciprocated Quadri with namaste and a smile. The home minister also witnessed the interaction with a smile.

    NEW DELHI: Veteran Bidri craft artist from Karnataka Shah Rasheed Ahmed Quadri, who received Padma Shri from President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he was wrong in believing that the BJP government would not honour him with the prestigious civilian award.

    After the ceremony to confer the Padma award was over at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, the prime minister along with Union Home Minister Amit Shah interacted with the awardees.

    When Modi wished Quadri and shook hands, he told the prime minister: “I was expecting a Padma award during the UPA government, but I did not get it. When your government came, I thought now the BJP government will not give me any award. But you have proved me wrong. I expressed my sincere gratitude to you”.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The prime minister reciprocated Quadri with namaste and a smile. The home minister also witnessed the interaction with a smile.

  • A year after hijab row in Karnataka, Muslim students face discrimination: Report

    By Express News Service

    BENGALURU: Muslim girls and women continue to face harassment even a year after the hijab controversy, revealed a report released by the People’s Unionfor Civil Liberties – Karnataka (PUCL-K).A PUCL-K team visited five districts in the state – Raichur, Udupi, Hassan, Shivamogga and Dakshina Kannada – and interview students, faculty and district authorities. The report titled ‘Closing the Gates of Education: Violations of Rights of Muslim Women Students’, mentioned that students have alleged they continue to face harassment from college administrations, with many compelled to shift from government to minority institutions.

    “Students from marginalised communities, religious minorities, and Adivasis have repeatedly shared their experiences of discrimination in classrooms and how it adversely affects their self-confidence, and inhibits their aspirations for higher studies and sense of freedom. A divided and discriminatory educational space directly galvanises the establishment of a further divided society,” the report stated.

    “I left my college and searched for other colleges that allowed girls to wear hijab. There was free education in government colleges but in my new college, the travel expense is high. I wanted to pursue MSc, which is not possible now. It feels that my dreams are now shattered,” a student who was interview said. The controversy had forced many to look for support from their own communities.

    “In rural Udupi, a student said that since there was a sudden change in the attitude of their neighbours and friends, many Muslim women sought support from within their community,” the report stated. The swelling presence of police on campuses, unwarranted confrontation with male students, who had threatened to kill or abuse them in social media, have made girl uncomfortable. “They said they wanted to punish and kill us. Many students come and pick fights without reason. We wrote to the principal, requesting intervention, but the principal refused,” the report quoted students.

    BENGALURU: Muslim girls and women continue to face harassment even a year after the hijab controversy, revealed a report released by the People’s Unionfor Civil Liberties – Karnataka (PUCL-K).
    A PUCL-K team visited five districts in the state – Raichur, Udupi, Hassan, Shivamogga and Dakshina Kannada – and interview students, faculty and district authorities. The report titled ‘Closing the Gates of Education: Violations of Rights of Muslim Women Students’, mentioned that students have alleged they continue to face harassment from college administrations, with many compelled to shift from government to minority institutions.

    “Students from marginalised communities, religious minorities, and Adivasis have repeatedly shared their experiences of discrimination in classrooms and how it adversely affects their self-confidence, and inhibits their aspirations for higher studies and sense of freedom. A divided and discriminatory educational space directly galvanises the establishment of a further divided society,” the report stated.

    “I left my college and searched for other colleges that allowed girls to wear hijab. There was free education in government colleges but in my new college, the travel expense is high. I wanted to pursue MSc, which is not possible now. It feels that my dreams are now shattered,” a student who was interview said. The controversy had forced many to look for support from their own communities.

    “In rural Udupi, a student said that since there was a sudden change in the attitude of their neighbours and friends, many Muslim women sought support from within their community,” the report stated. The swelling presence of police on campuses, unwarranted confrontation with male students, who had threatened to kill or abuse them in social media, have made girl uncomfortable. “They said they wanted to punish and kill us. Many students come and pick fights without reason. We wrote to the principal, requesting intervention, but the principal refused,” the report quoted students.

  • Maharashtra passes resolution on border row with Karnataka, to legally pursue inclusion of Marathi-speaking villages

    By PTI

    NAGPUR: The Maharashtra Legislative Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to “legally pursue” the inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into the western state and that the Centre should ask the southern state to guarantee the safety of Marathi people living in the border areas.

    The resolution moved by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature expressed solidarity with the people living in the boundary areas.

    “The state government will legally pursue in the Supreme Court the case to include (in Maharashtra) inch and inch of land of Belgaum, Karwar Bidar, Nipani, Bhalki cities and the 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka,” the resolution said.

    It said the central government should urge the Karnataka government to implement the decision taken in a meeting with the Union Home Minister (over the border dispute issue).

    The central government should give directives to the Karnataka government to guarantee the safety of the Marathi people in the border areas, it added.

    The Council passed the resolution unanimously in the presence of Deputy Chairperson Dr Neelam Gorhe.

    The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.

    The Karnataka Legislative Assembly last Thursday unanimously passed a resolution on the border row with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the southern state’s interests and not to cede an inch of land to its neighbour.

    The resolution had also condemned the border dispute “created” by Maharashtra.

    Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population.

    It also laid claim to more than 800 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently part of Karnataka.

    Karnataka maintains the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report as final.

    ALSO READ | Declare ‘Karnataka-occupied Maharashtra’ as Union Territory: Ex-CM Uddhav

    NAGPUR: The Maharashtra Legislative Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution to “legally pursue” the inclusion of 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka into the western state and that the Centre should ask the southern state to guarantee the safety of Marathi people living in the border areas.

    The resolution moved by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde in both Houses of the Maharashtra legislature expressed solidarity with the people living in the boundary areas.

    “The state government will legally pursue in the Supreme Court the case to include (in Maharashtra) inch and inch of land of Belgaum, Karwar Bidar, Nipani, Bhalki cities and the 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka,” the resolution said.

    It said the central government should urge the Karnataka government to implement the decision taken in a meeting with the Union Home Minister (over the border dispute issue).

    The central government should give directives to the Karnataka government to guarantee the safety of the Marathi people in the border areas, it added.

    The Council passed the resolution unanimously in the presence of Deputy Chairperson Dr Neelam Gorhe.

    The border issue dates back to 1957 after the reorganisation of states on linguistic lines.

    The Karnataka Legislative Assembly last Thursday unanimously passed a resolution on the border row with Maharashtra, resolving to protect the southern state’s interests and not to cede an inch of land to its neighbour.

    The resolution had also condemned the border dispute “created” by Maharashtra.

    Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi, which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency, as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population.

    It also laid claim to more than 800 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently part of Karnataka.

    Karnataka maintains the demarcation done on linguistic lines as per the States Reorganisation Act and the 1967 Mahajan Commission Report as final.

    ALSO READ | Declare ‘Karnataka-occupied Maharashtra’ as Union Territory: Ex-CM Uddhav

  • Border row: Meeting in Delhi achieved nothing, favoured Karnataka, claims Uddhav

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that nothing came out of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s meeting with the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka over the border dispute.

    Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with his Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress and NCP, he also said it was difficult to believe that some tweets from the verified handle of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on the issue were not actually posted by him.

    “What was achieved by yesterday’s meeting of Union home minister Amit Shah with chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka? It was rubbing of salt into our wounds. As always, the deliberations favoured Karnataka,” Thackeray said.

    The former chief minister demanded to know why Karnataka holds legislature sessions in Belagavi (the north Karnataka city which is the main bone of contention between the two states) and accorded it the status of second capital when the border dispute was before the Supreme Court.

    ”Belagavi, Karwar, Nipani and other surrounding areas (of northern Karnataka) want to join Maharashtra. Why are there no answers to this demand,” he asked.

    He also sought to know why the Karnataka chief minister waited till Wednesday’s meeting in Delhi to clarify that some ‘fake’ Twitter handles were posting tweets in his name that fuelled tensions.

    “What action has been taken till now? Is it believable?” he asked.

    The MVA meeting was attended by NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan.

    On a protest march organised by the MVA on Saturday in Mumbai, Thackeray said “all those who love Maharashtra should join it.”

    READ HERE | Karnataka, Maharashtra arm-wrestle over border areas

    Issues such as the border dispute with Karnataka, `insult’ of Maharashtrian icons and industrial projects going to other states would be highlighted during the march which will start from J J Flyover and end at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, Pawar and Thackeray said.

    Union minister Shah met the chief ministers of the two states on Wednesday after violence flared up in the border region where Maharashtra has staked claim on 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka besides Belagavi.

    Of late, Karnataka too has staked claims to south Solapur and Akkalkote regions of Maharashtra, that have a sizeable Kannada speaking population.

    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday said that nothing came out of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s meeting with the chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka over the border dispute.

    Speaking at a press conference after a meeting with his Maha Vikas Aghadi allies Congress and NCP, he also said it was difficult to believe that some tweets from the verified handle of Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on the issue were not actually posted by him.

    “What was achieved by yesterday’s meeting of Union home minister Amit Shah with chief ministers of Maharashtra and Karnataka? It was rubbing of salt into our wounds. As always, the deliberations favoured Karnataka,” Thackeray said.

    The former chief minister demanded to know why Karnataka holds legislature sessions in Belagavi (the north Karnataka city which is the main bone of contention between the two states) and accorded it the status of second capital when the border dispute was before the Supreme Court.

    ”Belagavi, Karwar, Nipani and other surrounding areas (of northern Karnataka) want to join Maharashtra. Why are there no answers to this demand,” he asked.

    He also sought to know why the Karnataka chief minister waited till Wednesday’s meeting in Delhi to clarify that some ‘fake’ Twitter handles were posting tweets in his name that fuelled tensions.

    “What action has been taken till now? Is it believable?” he asked.

    The MVA meeting was attended by NCP leader Ajit Pawar and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan.

    On a protest march organised by the MVA on Saturday in Mumbai, Thackeray said “all those who love Maharashtra should join it.”

    READ HERE | Karnataka, Maharashtra arm-wrestle over border areas

    Issues such as the border dispute with Karnataka, `insult’ of Maharashtrian icons and industrial projects going to other states would be highlighted during the march which will start from J J Flyover and end at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai, Pawar and Thackeray said.

    Union minister Shah met the chief ministers of the two states on Wednesday after violence flared up in the border region where Maharashtra has staked claim on 865 Marathi-speaking villages in Karnataka besides Belagavi.

    Of late, Karnataka too has staked claims to south Solapur and Akkalkote regions of Maharashtra, that have a sizeable Kannada speaking population.

  • 40 Maharashtra villages seek to merge with Karnataka

    Express News Service

    BELAGAVI: Amid the ongoing tussle between leaders of Karnataka and Maharashtra over the simmering boundary dispute between the two neighbouring states, residents of 40 villages in Jath taluk in Sangli district on Maharashtra border, mostly inhabited by Kannadigas, have expressed their desire to see their areas merged with Karnataka. Slamming the Maharashtra government for neglecting their villages for decades and depriving them of basic amenities like roads and irrigation facilities, the villagers said they would prefer to be part of Karnataka if the Maharashtra government continues to neglect them.

    President of Umadi Niravari Horata Samiti in Jath taluk, Sunil Potdar said, “We have been demanding basic amenities in our villages in Jath taluk for the past decade, but in vain. Our demands have fallen on deaf ears. It’s time that our villages are merged with Karnataka.’’ He welcomed the recent statement of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who backed the demand of Kannadigas for merger of their region, including Solapur and Akkalkot, with Karnataka.

    A prominent local leader Shambu Mamadapur, also president of the Danamma Temple Trust of Guddapur in Jath taluk, said the villagers of Guddapur have been demanding the development of roads for several decades but the Maharashtra government has not done anything about it.

    People in most of these 40 villages are upset that the government has neglected Kannada schools and said that it was the Karnataka government which sanctioned Rs 15 crore for the development of schools in the border areas, besides giving grants for the construction of Kannada Bhavan in recent years. The villagers said the roads leading to Danamma Temple, one of the famous religious places in the region, are pathetic even as more than 10,000 devotees visit the shrine everyday. 

    Kannadigas in majority in 40 villages

    At least one lakh devotees throng the temple on Kartik Amavasya and 95 per cent of them are Kannadigas, they said, adding that not even a single paisa has been released by the Maharashtra government for the benefit of devotees. However, the Karnataka government released Rs 12 crore to the temple trust in the last eight years, the villagers said.

    All the 40 villages, which are predominantly occupied by Kannadigas in Jath taluk, are located close to Athani taluk in the border areas. According to sources, Kannadigas form more than 90% of the population in these 40 villages. The people of all the 40 villages organised a Gram Sabha at Guddapur in 2012 and urged the Maharashtra government to develop their area or allow them to merge with Karnataka. The villagers had also staged a protest in this connection in front of the DC’s office in Sangli.

    Noted litterateur Chandrashekhar Patil had attended the meeting at Guddapur and had told the villagers that he would meet Bommai and bring the facts to his notice. Meanwhile, a team of Karnataka Rakshna Vedike from Kagwad visited Balgaon in Jath taluk on Monday and invited Kannadigas to come to Karnataka.

    BELAGAVI: Amid the ongoing tussle between leaders of Karnataka and Maharashtra over the simmering boundary dispute between the two neighbouring states, residents of 40 villages in Jath taluk in Sangli district on Maharashtra border, mostly inhabited by Kannadigas, have expressed their desire to see their areas merged with Karnataka. Slamming the Maharashtra government for neglecting their villages for decades and depriving them of basic amenities like roads and irrigation facilities, the villagers said they would prefer to be part of Karnataka if the Maharashtra government continues to neglect them.

    President of Umadi Niravari Horata Samiti in Jath taluk, Sunil Potdar said, “We have been demanding basic amenities in our villages in Jath taluk for the past decade, but in vain. Our demands have fallen on deaf ears. It’s time that our villages are merged with Karnataka.’’ He welcomed the recent statement of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai who backed the demand of Kannadigas for merger of their region, including Solapur and Akkalkot, with Karnataka.

    A prominent local leader Shambu Mamadapur, also president of the Danamma Temple Trust of Guddapur in Jath taluk, said the villagers of Guddapur have been demanding the development of roads for several decades but the Maharashtra government has not done anything about it.

    People in most of these 40 villages are upset that the government has neglected Kannada schools and said that it was the Karnataka government which sanctioned Rs 15 crore for the development of schools in the border areas, besides giving grants for the construction of Kannada Bhavan in recent years. The villagers said the roads leading to Danamma Temple, one of the famous religious places in the region, are pathetic even as more than 10,000 devotees visit the shrine everyday. 

    Kannadigas in majority in 40 villages

    At least one lakh devotees throng the temple on Kartik Amavasya and 95 per cent of them are Kannadigas, they said, adding that not even a single paisa has been released by the Maharashtra government for the benefit of devotees. However, the Karnataka government released Rs 12 crore to the temple trust in the last eight years, the villagers said.

    All the 40 villages, which are predominantly occupied by Kannadigas in Jath taluk, are located close to Athani taluk in the border areas. According to sources, Kannadigas form more than 90% of the population in these 40 villages. The people of all the 40 villages organised a Gram Sabha at Guddapur in 2012 and urged the Maharashtra government to develop their area or allow them to merge with Karnataka. The villagers had also staged a protest in this connection in front of the DC’s office in Sangli.

    Noted litterateur Chandrashekhar Patil had attended the meeting at Guddapur and had told the villagers that he would meet Bommai and bring the facts to his notice. Meanwhile, a team of Karnataka Rakshna Vedike from Kagwad visited Balgaon in Jath taluk on Monday and invited Kannadigas to come to Karnataka.

  • No village from Maharashtra will go anywhere: Fadnavis on Bommai’s statement

    By PTI

    NAGPUR/MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said no village in Maharashtra has sought merger with Karnataka recently, and there is no question of any border village “going anywhere”.

    Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had claimed on Tuesday that some village panchayats in Jat taluka of Maharashtra’s Sangli district had passed a resolution in the past seeking to merge with Karnataka when they were facing a severe water crisis.

    The Karnataka government had devised schemes to help them by providing water, and his government was seriously considering the proposal of Jat villages, he said.

    “These villages had introduced a resolution on the issue of water scarcity in 2012. Presently, none of the villages have introduced any resolution,” Fadnavis told reporters here.

    When he became Maharashtra chief minister, his government entered into an agreement with Karnataka to sort out the water issue, he said.

    A water supply scheme was chalked out for the Jat villages when Girish Mahajan was water resources minister in his cabinet, the BJP leader added.

    “We are now going to give approval to that scheme. Perhaps because of Covid, the previous (Uddhav Thackeray-led) government could not approve it,” Fadnavis added.

    “Presently, none of the villages have raised such demand (of merger with Karnataka). The demand is of 2012,” he said.

    “Not a single village of Maharashtra will go anywhere,” Fadnavis stressed.

    Earlier in the day, Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai said the Karnataka chief minister’s claims should not be taken seriously.

    The decades-old border dispute over Belagavi (earlier Belgaum) between Maharashtra and Karnataka is in news again due to recent statements from both sides.

    On Monday, Bommai had said he had formed a formidable legal team of senior lawyers to deal with the border dispute when it comes up in the Supreme Court.

    On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government appointed Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai as nodal ministers to coordinate with the state’s legal team regarding the pending court case.

    Talking to reporters here, Desai said, “As Maharashtra has reconstituted its team to take forward the Karnataka border dispute in the Supreme Court, Bommai has come up with some ridiculous old demand. It should not be taken seriously. The villages in Jat tehsil had reportedly passed a resolution more than a decade back to pressurise the then state government to address their demand of water supply from the Krishna river.”

    There is no such official documentation or resolution available with the Maharashtra government, he added.

    “As per my information, the Maharashtra government has already cleared a proposal to supply water for irrigation to the arid parts of Jat tehsil. The cost of the project is around Rs 1,200 crore. A technical scrutiny of the project is underway. It means these villages will definitely get water from Maharashtra,” Desai said.

    The border dispute dates back to the 1960s after the reorganisation of States on linguistic lines.

    Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population.

    It also laid claim to 80 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently part of Karnataka.

    NAGPUR/MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday said no village in Maharashtra has sought merger with Karnataka recently, and there is no question of any border village “going anywhere”.

    Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had claimed on Tuesday that some village panchayats in Jat taluka of Maharashtra’s Sangli district had passed a resolution in the past seeking to merge with Karnataka when they were facing a severe water crisis.

    The Karnataka government had devised schemes to help them by providing water, and his government was seriously considering the proposal of Jat villages, he said.

    “These villages had introduced a resolution on the issue of water scarcity in 2012. Presently, none of the villages have introduced any resolution,” Fadnavis told reporters here.

    When he became Maharashtra chief minister, his government entered into an agreement with Karnataka to sort out the water issue, he said.

    A water supply scheme was chalked out for the Jat villages when Girish Mahajan was water resources minister in his cabinet, the BJP leader added.

    “We are now going to give approval to that scheme. Perhaps because of Covid, the previous (Uddhav Thackeray-led) government could not approve it,” Fadnavis added.

    “Presently, none of the villages have raised such demand (of merger with Karnataka). The demand is of 2012,” he said.

    “Not a single village of Maharashtra will go anywhere,” Fadnavis stressed.

    Earlier in the day, Maharashtra minister Shambhuraj Desai said the Karnataka chief minister’s claims should not be taken seriously.

    The decades-old border dispute over Belagavi (earlier Belgaum) between Maharashtra and Karnataka is in news again due to recent statements from both sides.

    On Monday, Bommai had said he had formed a formidable legal team of senior lawyers to deal with the border dispute when it comes up in the Supreme Court.

    On Tuesday, the Maharashtra government appointed Chandrakant Patil and Shambhuraj Desai as nodal ministers to coordinate with the state’s legal team regarding the pending court case.

    Talking to reporters here, Desai said, “As Maharashtra has reconstituted its team to take forward the Karnataka border dispute in the Supreme Court, Bommai has come up with some ridiculous old demand. It should not be taken seriously. The villages in Jat tehsil had reportedly passed a resolution more than a decade back to pressurise the then state government to address their demand of water supply from the Krishna river.”

    There is no such official documentation or resolution available with the Maharashtra government, he added.

    “As per my information, the Maharashtra government has already cleared a proposal to supply water for irrigation to the arid parts of Jat tehsil. The cost of the project is around Rs 1,200 crore. A technical scrutiny of the project is underway. It means these villages will definitely get water from Maharashtra,” Desai said.

    The border dispute dates back to the 1960s after the reorganisation of States on linguistic lines.

    Maharashtra laid claim to Belagavi which was part of the erstwhile Bombay Presidency as it has a sizable Marathi-speaking population.

    It also laid claim to 80 Marathi-speaking villages which are currently part of Karnataka.

  • Maharashtra panel meet on Nov 21 over boundary row before SC hearing

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI/BELAGAVI: With the Karnataka government set to strengthen their case over the boundary dispute against Maharashtra in the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra government has decided to convene a meeting of its reconstituted 14-member high-powered committee on November 21 at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai in view of the apex court hearing on November 23.

    The panel will be headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, with Union Minister Narayan Rane, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP president Sharad Pawar, former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, leaders of opposition Ajit Pawar and Ambadas Danve, and other cabinet ministers as  members.

    The Maharashtra government demands the merger of 865 villages on the border shared by both the states. Recently, a delegation of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) had appealed to Shinde to hold a meeting in connection with the dispute. The Maharashtra government has already rejected the recommendations made by the Mahajan Commission.

    ‘Karnataka unprepared’With the Maharashtra government designing strategies to fight the case, the Karnataka government is yet to hold a meeting regarding the dispute in the recent months. “The Border Protection Commission of Karnataka is defunct after the demise of its chairperson Justice KL Manjunath, six month ago. The state neither has a minister for the boundary dispute nor a high-powered committee to look into the dispute,’’ says an expert. The state government claimed it had already instructed Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi to look into the case, sources said.

    ‘Don’t let SC admit case’The Karnataka government plans to contend that the boundary dispute case does not come under the purview of the SC, by which the government should ensure that the Maharashtra’s petition is not “admitted in the Supreme Court’’, say sources.

    MUMBAI/BELAGAVI: With the Karnataka government set to strengthen their case over the boundary dispute against Maharashtra in the Supreme Court, the Maharashtra government has decided to convene a meeting of its reconstituted 14-member high-powered committee on November 21 at Sahyadri Guest House in Mumbai in view of the apex court hearing on November 23.

    The panel will be headed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, with Union Minister Narayan Rane, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, NCP president Sharad Pawar, former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, leaders of opposition Ajit Pawar and Ambadas Danve, and other cabinet ministers as  members.

    The Maharashtra government demands the merger of 865 villages on the border shared by both the states. Recently, a delegation of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti (MES) had appealed to Shinde to hold a meeting in connection with the dispute. The Maharashtra government has already rejected the recommendations made by the Mahajan Commission.

    ‘Karnataka unprepared’
    With the Maharashtra government designing strategies to fight the case, the Karnataka government is yet to hold a meeting regarding the dispute in the recent months. “The Border Protection Commission of Karnataka is defunct after the demise of its chairperson Justice KL Manjunath, six month ago. The state neither has a minister for the boundary dispute nor a high-powered committee to look into the dispute,’’ says an expert. The state government claimed it had already instructed Advocate General Prabhuling Navadgi to look into the case, sources said.

    ‘Don’t let SC admit case’
    The Karnataka government plans to contend that the boundary dispute case does not come under the purview of the SC, by which the government should ensure that the Maharashtra’s petition is not “admitted in the Supreme Court’’, say sources.

  • With Kharge at helm, Congress looks to consolidate its Dalit vote base in poll-bound Karnataka

    By PTI

    BENGALURU: The political impact of Mallikarjun Kharge’s election to the post of Congress President is being keenly watched in his poll-bound home state of Karnataka with the party hoping to reap dividends to consolidate its Dalit vote base.

    The veteran leader is also expected to use his good offices in unifying the faction-ridden party in the state, ahead of Assembly elections just six months away.

    Kharge is only the second leader, after Jagjivan Ram, to be the Congress President from the Dalit community, which constitutes about 24 per cent of the population across more than 100 caste groups in the state.

    According to some party insiders and political observers, Congress’ strong support base among Dalits has shrunk over the years, due to various factors including a section of it shifting towards BJP in recent years, attracted by the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his push for a development agenda.

    Also, the grand old party’s inability to resolve the differences between left and right sects among the Dalits, concerning internal reservation, has also led to it losing the support of the Left, who have considerable presence in the state.

    Kharge belongs to the Dalit right, and his ability to win over the left, who have by and large moved towards the BJP, is crucial, and will determine whether things will turn in favour of the Congress or not, political analysts say.

    There is anger among a large section of the community, over the fact that Congress, which enjoyed their support for long, did not make a Dalit as the state’s Chief Minister.

    Kharge himself had lost out from the chance of becoming the Chief Minister, after having come very close to it, a couple of times.

    Political analyst A Narayana from Azim Premji University said, “Overall, it (Kharge’s elevation) is an advantage for the Congress (in Karnataka), but to what extent it will turn into an electoral or political capital, we do not know and have to see.”

    Noting that Dalits harbour “a little bit” of anger against the Congress which sort of affected its prospects last time (in 2018 polls), he said there is still a feeling in the community that they were not given their due.

    “Ultimately, that dissatisfaction will be addressed only when a Dalit becomes the CM, but it is a distant possibility, given the political realities of the state today. In the meantime, to address this discontent to an extent, it seems to be a good argument for the Congress to say that the top post of the party has been given to a Dalit, and we respect the Dalit sentiments,” he added.

    Further, pointing out that in Karnataka, Congress’ problem with Dalits is a more specific one, where the left sect of the community is angry with the party more than the right, Narayana said it remains to be seen if the elevation of Kharge, a Dalit on the right will help the party to placate the other side.

    “It depends on how much they (Congress) try to leverage, whether Kharge will make any impact in that direction, and how they address the discontent that the left wing has particularly regarding the implementation of the Sadashiva Commission report among other things,” he added.

    The Justice A J Sadashiva Inquiry Commission, which looked into methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among Scheduled Castes (SCs), had recommended internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all the 101 castes into four groups.

    Senior Congress leader and former Chairman of Legislative Council V R Sudarshan said Kharge becoming the Congress President is a matter of pride for Karnataka and it will certainly strengthen the party affairs in the state, both politically and socially.

    He said, “It is an opportunity to consolidate (Dalits) in favour of the party. However, Kharge personally has never played his Dalit identity card, even when there was a circumstance for him to become the CM. He has always been a committed Congressman and gone by his performance and loyalty.”

    With Kharge’s elevation, there are also talks in political circles as to whether it would create one more ‘power centre’ within the Karnataka Congress which is deeply divided, and amid growing political one-upmanship between state President DK Shivakumar and Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, who are nursing chief ministerial ambitions.

    Amid this situation, there are talks whether the new AICC chief will be able to rein in all the factions and unite the party for the elections.

    There are also discussions in the party, whether it will be ‘disadvantage’ for Siddaramaiah (who had joined the Congress from JDS) with Kharge at the helm as his preference may be towards old-time party loyalists on matters relating to ticket distribution and leaders among others.

    However, Narayana responding to this said, “Yes, there will be another power centre in Karnataka, but will it affect the possibility of Siddaramaiah becoming or not becoming CM, I don’t think so, because Kharge is appointed keeping in mind the 2024 (Lok Sabha) election.”

    BENGALURU: The political impact of Mallikarjun Kharge’s election to the post of Congress President is being keenly watched in his poll-bound home state of Karnataka with the party hoping to reap dividends to consolidate its Dalit vote base.

    The veteran leader is also expected to use his good offices in unifying the faction-ridden party in the state, ahead of Assembly elections just six months away.

    Kharge is only the second leader, after Jagjivan Ram, to be the Congress President from the Dalit community, which constitutes about 24 per cent of the population across more than 100 caste groups in the state.

    According to some party insiders and political observers, Congress’ strong support base among Dalits has shrunk over the years, due to various factors including a section of it shifting towards BJP in recent years, attracted by the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his push for a development agenda.

    Also, the grand old party’s inability to resolve the differences between left and right sects among the Dalits, concerning internal reservation, has also led to it losing the support of the Left, who have considerable presence in the state.

    Kharge belongs to the Dalit right, and his ability to win over the left, who have by and large moved towards the BJP, is crucial, and will determine whether things will turn in favour of the Congress or not, political analysts say.

    There is anger among a large section of the community, over the fact that Congress, which enjoyed their support for long, did not make a Dalit as the state’s Chief Minister.

    Kharge himself had lost out from the chance of becoming the Chief Minister, after having come very close to it, a couple of times.

    Political analyst A Narayana from Azim Premji University said, “Overall, it (Kharge’s elevation) is an advantage for the Congress (in Karnataka), but to what extent it will turn into an electoral or political capital, we do not know and have to see.”

    Noting that Dalits harbour “a little bit” of anger against the Congress which sort of affected its prospects last time (in 2018 polls), he said there is still a feeling in the community that they were not given their due.

    “Ultimately, that dissatisfaction will be addressed only when a Dalit becomes the CM, but it is a distant possibility, given the political realities of the state today. In the meantime, to address this discontent to an extent, it seems to be a good argument for the Congress to say that the top post of the party has been given to a Dalit, and we respect the Dalit sentiments,” he added.

    Further, pointing out that in Karnataka, Congress’ problem with Dalits is a more specific one, where the left sect of the community is angry with the party more than the right, Narayana said it remains to be seen if the elevation of Kharge, a Dalit on the right will help the party to placate the other side.

    “It depends on how much they (Congress) try to leverage, whether Kharge will make any impact in that direction, and how they address the discontent that the left wing has particularly regarding the implementation of the Sadashiva Commission report among other things,” he added.

    The Justice A J Sadashiva Inquiry Commission, which looked into methods of equitable distribution of reservation facilities among Scheduled Castes (SCs), had recommended internal reservation among the castes by broadly reclassifying all the 101 castes into four groups.

    Senior Congress leader and former Chairman of Legislative Council V R Sudarshan said Kharge becoming the Congress President is a matter of pride for Karnataka and it will certainly strengthen the party affairs in the state, both politically and socially.

    He said, “It is an opportunity to consolidate (Dalits) in favour of the party. However, Kharge personally has never played his Dalit identity card, even when there was a circumstance for him to become the CM. He has always been a committed Congressman and gone by his performance and loyalty.”

    With Kharge’s elevation, there are also talks in political circles as to whether it would create one more ‘power centre’ within the Karnataka Congress which is deeply divided, and amid growing political one-upmanship between state President DK Shivakumar and Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, who are nursing chief ministerial ambitions.

    Amid this situation, there are talks whether the new AICC chief will be able to rein in all the factions and unite the party for the elections.

    There are also discussions in the party, whether it will be ‘disadvantage’ for Siddaramaiah (who had joined the Congress from JDS) with Kharge at the helm as his preference may be towards old-time party loyalists on matters relating to ticket distribution and leaders among others.

    However, Narayana responding to this said, “Yes, there will be another power centre in Karnataka, but will it affect the possibility of Siddaramaiah becoming or not becoming CM, I don’t think so, because Kharge is appointed keeping in mind the 2024 (Lok Sabha) election.”

  • Karnataka BJP regime ‘anti-SC-ST’, says Rahul

    By PTI

    BALLARI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led regime in Karnataka as against the Scheduled castes and tribes and alleged that it is called a “40 per cent commission” government.

    The BJP government in Karnataka is “anti-SC and ST,” and there is a 50 per cent rise in atrocities against these oppressed people, Rahul Gandhi said addressing the Bharat Jodo Yatra here.

    The BJP-led regime in the state is called a “40 per cent commission” government as any work could be done by paying it, he alleged.

    BALLARI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at the BJP-led regime in Karnataka as against the Scheduled castes and tribes and alleged that it is called a “40 per cent commission” government.

    The BJP government in Karnataka is “anti-SC and ST,” and there is a 50 per cent rise in atrocities against these oppressed people, Rahul Gandhi said addressing the Bharat Jodo Yatra here.

    The BJP-led regime in the state is called a “40 per cent commission” government as any work could be done by paying it, he alleged.