News Analysis India

Tag: Rajasthan

  • Tailor murder: Prime accused has links with Pak-based Dawat-e-Islami, visited Karachi, says DGP

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: One of the two prime accused in the brutal killing of a tailor in Udaipur has links with the Pakistan-based organisation Dawat-e-Islami and had visited Karachi in 2014, the Rajasthan Police chief said on Wednesday.

    The police have detained three more people in connection with the killing so far, Director General of Police (DGP) M L Lather said at a press conference here.

    Two men, identified as Riaz Akhtari and Ghouse Mohammad, allegedly hacked Kanhaiya Lal to death with a cleaver at his shop in Udaipur on Tuesday and posted videos online saying they are avenging an insult to Islam.

    The duo was taken into custody on Tuesday and booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the various sections of IPC, the police chief said.

    “One of the accused, Ghouse Mohammad, has links with the Karachi-based Ismalist organisation Dawat-e-Islami. He had visited Karachi in 2014. So far, we have detained five people, including the two prime accused,” Lather said.

    When asked whether both the accused had links with Dawat-e-Islami, Lather said that it cannot be ruled out as both of them were equally involved.

    Lather said that looking into all the perspectives and on directions of the chief minister, it was considered as act of terror, so investigation was started after registering a case under the UAPA.

    A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrived in Udaipur, he said, adding the case has been transferred to the NIA and state police will assist them. Lather said Ghouse Mohammad in 2014 had visited Dawat-e-Islami, Karachi.

    ALSO READ | NIA registers case under UAPA in Udaipur killing, says accused wanted to ‘trike terror among masses’

    The outfit has its offices in Mumbai and Delhi, he said. Detained accused Riaz works as a welder and Ghouse is into some petty works. “It is also found that the distinct weapon used to hack Kanhaiya was made by Riaz around four-five years ago,” said the DGP.

    On the trans-border connection of the two prime accused, he said all digital evidence is being looked into.

    A case has been lodged under IPC sections 302, 452, 153 (A), 153(B), 295(A) and 34, and sections 16, 18 and 20 of UAPA, 1967.

    Lather also mentioned about the case lodged against Kanhaiya Lal on June 10 by one Nazim at Dhan Mandi police station over an alleged objectionable post hurting sentiments of a community.

    On June 11, Kanhaiya was arrested and released on bail the next day, he said.

    On June 15, Kanhaiya filed a complaint at the police station that four-five people were following him and his life was in danger.

    The SHO failed to assess the gravity of the situation and effective action was not taken on the Kanhaiya’s complaint, the state police chief said, adding the issue was resolved amicably without any legal action.

    “The assistant sub-inspector was suspended yesterday, and today the SHO has been suspended for negligence,” he said.

  • Udaipur murder meant to spread terror, both accused booked under UAPA: Gehlot

    Official sources said the chief minister has also convened an all-party meeting at his residence at 6 pm on Wednesday over the Udaipur incident.

  • Tailor murder: Prohibitory orders imposed, mobile internet suspended across Rajasthan 

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan government on Tuesday imposed prohibitory orders and suspended mobile internet service across the state in view of communal tension following the murder of a tailor in Udaipur.

    Two men with a cleaver murdered the tailor, Kanhaiya Lal, saying in a video post on social media that they are avenging an insult to Islam.

    Chief Secretary Usha Sharma directed officials to suspend mobile internet service across the state for 24 hours and impose section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) — preventing the assembly of more than four people — in all districts of the state for a month.

    Leaves of police and administration officials have also been cancelled.

    Sharma chaired a high-level meeting with senior officers, including Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Abhay Kumar, Director General of Police M L Lather and others, to review the situation.

    “The chief secretary has directed all divisional commissioners, inspector generals of police and district collectors to take special vigil across the state,” an official statement said.

    The men who allegedly carried out the daylight murder posted three videos online admitting to the crime and were soon arrested.

    In a video clip, one of the purported assailants declared that they had “beheaded” the man and went on to threaten Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying their knife will get him as well.

    Indirectly, the assailants also referred to Nupur Sharma, the BJP leader suspended from the party over a remark on Prophet Mohammad.

    Sharma directed all divisional commissioners to block the circulation of the videos of the incident and take action against those found sharing them, the release said.

    She said an appeal should be made to religious leaders to cooperate in maintaining communal harmony and peace.

    Kumar said the situation should be monitored with utmost vigilance and sensitivity in all the districts while Lather directed that police and administration officers should ensure special monitoring to maintain law and order.

    Earlier, a curfew was imposed in seven police station areas of Udaipur from 8 pm on Tuesday till further orders.

    Meanwhile, two additional director generals of police, a deputy inspector general of police, a superintendent of police, 30 officers of the Rajasthan Police Service officers and 5 Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) companies have been sent to Udaipur.

    Kanhaiya Lal was recently arrested by the local police over some remarks made on social media by him.

    A BJP leader said the victim feared for his life and had sought police protection, but the authorities did not act on his appeal.

  • Tailor murdered over ‘insult to Islam’; curfew in Udaipur areas, prohibitory orders across Rajasthan 

    By PTI

    UDAIPUR: Two men with a cleaver murdered a tailor here, saying in a video post on social media that they are avenging an insult to Islam and triggering communal tension in the Rajasthan city, part of which was placed under curfew.

    Within hours, prohibitory orders banning the assembly of people were imposed across the state for a month and mobile internet services suspended for the next 24 hours.

    At 8 pm, curfew was declared till further orders in seven police station areas of Udaipur city.

    ALSO READ: Man beheaded in Rajasthan for supporting suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma in social media post

    The men who allegedly carried out the daylight murder posted three videos online admitting to the crime and were soon arrested.

    In a video clip, one of the purported assailants declared that they had “beheaded” the man and went on to threaten Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying their knife will get him as well.

    Indirectly, the assailants also referred to Nupur Sharma, the BJP leader suspended from the party over a remark on Prophet Mohammad.

    Kanhaiya Lal, the tailor, was recently arrested by the local police over some remarks made on social media by him.

    ALSO READ: Union Home Ministry dispatches team of anti-terror agency NIA to Udaipur 

    A BJP leader said the victim feared for his life and had sought police protection, but the authorities did not act on his appeal.

    The assailants entered his shop in the city’s Dhan Mandi area posing as customers.

    As the tailor took the measurements of one of them — who later identified himself as Riaz Akhtari – attacked him with a cleaver, nearly severing his neck.

    The other man shot the brutal murder with his mobile phone.

    The two men fled from the scene and later uploaded this clip on social media.

    In another video, the alleged assailant said they “beheaded” the tailor and threatened the prime minister for lighting “this fire”.

    Yet another provocative video was recorded on June 17, in which Akhtari said he will post it the day he carries out the murder.

    He asked other members of the community to continue with similar attacks.

    As the videos circulated on social media, tension escalated.

    Shopkeepers in local markets downed shutters.

    Shopkeepers stopped police from taking away the body, saying they will allow the removal of the corpse only after the murderers are arrested and compensation — Rs 50 lakh and a government job — given to the victim’s family.

    On Twitter, CM Ashok Gehlot appealed for calm and asked people not to share the videos.

    “The guilty will not be spared. The entire police team is working on it with full alertness. I can imagine the anger which is there among people due to the murder. We are taking action accordingly,” he told reporters in Jodhpur.

    Udaipur Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar also promised strict action.

    “A brutal murder has happened. Broadly, it seems to be a planned murder. We are discussing the demands put forth by the family members. Strict action will be taken against the criminals. I appeal to people to maintain peace,” he said.

    Gehlot said there is communal tension in the country and the prime minister should address the people.

    He said both Hindus and Muslims are worried.

    “It is more impactful if the prime minister speaks. I believe that the prime minister should address the country on this occasion and should make an appeal that we will not tolerate violence at any cost. What is the problem in saying so?” he said.

    BJP state chief Satish Poonia targeted the Congress government in Rajasthan, saying that the murder was the result of its “appeasement policy”.

    He said those seen in the video had threatened the victim on June 17.

    “The victim had asked for security but it was not given by the police,” he claimed, adding that this indicated the apathy of the state’s Congress government.

    The state unit of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) made the same claim.

    “The situation in Rajasthan is such that Hindus are being attacked and murdered at many places. It is because of the politics of appeasement of CM Ashok Gehlot,” Poonia claimed.

    Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria also condemned the incident and said he was reaching Udaipur Tuesday night.

    The prohibitory orders under section 144 of the CrPC, however, do not allow the gathering of more than three people.

    About 600 more policemen, including five companies of the Rajasthan Armed Constabulary, were sent to Udaipur, officials said.

    Senior police officers were also rushed to the city.

    Gehlot said the trial will be fast-tracked under the state’s “case officer scheme”.

  • Tailor murder: Curfew imposed in 7 police station areas of Udaipur 

    By PTI

    UDAIPUR: Curfew was imposed in seven police station areas of Udaipur from 8 pm till further orders on Tuesday after the killing of a tailor that triggered communal tension in the Rajasthan city.

    Two men slit the throat of a tailor in Udaipur on Tuesday, saying in a video post on social media that they are avenging an insult to Islam.

    Udaipur Collector Tarachand Meena issued the order to impose curfew in seven police station areas of Dhan Mandi, Ghanta Ghar, Hathi Pole, Amba Mata, Suraj Pole, Bhupalpura and Savina police stations.

    The curfew will be in force from 8 pm on Tuesday till further orders, according to the order.

    However, those engaged in essential services, students appearing in exams and staff engaged in examination process will be exempted.

    Meanwhile, mobile internet has also been suspended in the city.

    “A state-level alert has been issued and range IGs and SPs have been asked to increase patrolling and force mobility as a precautionary measure,” ADG Law and Order Hawa Singh Ghumaria said.

  • Sachin Pilot hits back over recent attacks by Gehlot camp

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Former Deputy CM of Rajasthan Sachin Pilot has hit back at CM Ashok Gehlot’s camp which has been targeting him over the past week for the political turmoil that took place in the state two years ago.

    Linking the attacks with the recent statement of Rahul Gandhi, Pilot says nobody needs to get too worried about the praise from Rahul Gandhi for his (Pilot) patience. He said that Gehlot is “old, experienced and like his father so he does not take his words otherwise.”

    On Sunday state UDH Minister had attacked Pilot and a day before, CM Gehlot had also indirectly linked Pilot with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat over the conspiracy to topple his government.   

    After remaining silent for several days Sachin Pilot finally hit back at CM Ashok Gehlot and his supporters who have been targeting him ever since Rahul Gandhi indirectly praised him last week.

    On Monday, Pilot who went on a tour to Tonk said, “Rahul Gandhi while addressing an event in Delhi, had praised my patience level. If a leader like Rahul is appreciating my patience level then I think no one should unnecessarily get disturbed by his statement.”

    Expressing his views on Rajasthan chief minister’s statement, Sachin Pilot further added, “I believe that Rahul Gandhi has praised my patience. In the past, Ashok Gehlot had said many things about me like useless and worthless, However, I don’t take his statements otherwise as he is experienced, senior, and like a father. He speaks but I do not react.”

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark last week that “Congress party teaches patience”, during which he referred to Sachin Pilot, has triggered fresh controversy between the Gehlot and Pilot camp in Rajasthan over the political turmoil that took  two years back due to the revolt of Sachin Pilot and 18 other MLAs

    Sharing the experience of his recent ED grilling with party workers at the AICC headquarters in Delhi on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi had said, “The ED officials asked me about the patience with which I answered their questions…I’m in Congress since 2004, patience is inculcated in us and every leader of the party understands this.”

    He then said, “Congress party teaches patience. I am working since 2004, Sachin Pilot is sitting here, Siddaramaiah Ji is here.”

    The former Congress chief’s remarks had triggered speculations over the change of party leadership in Rajasthan. After this, on Saturday, CM Ashok Gehlot had targeted Sachin Pilot along with Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat over the revolt two years ago to bring down his government on the issue of giving notice to the Union Minister in connection with the ‘legislator’ purchase charges. CM Gehlot had said that Gajendra Singh and Sachin Pilot must have met during the conspiracy to topple the government. Gehlot said in Sikar district that “everyone knows what you did during the conspiracy to bring down the government.  Now you are taking the name of Sachin Pilot and saying that he made a mistake. This proves that you had hatched a conspiracy with them (the Pilot group).”  Union Minister Shekhawat had said in a public meeting in Chomu on the 19th June that Sachin Pilot missed the chance to repeat a Madhya Pradesh-like revolt in Rajasthan.

    On Sunday, UDH minister Shanti Dhariwal, who is close to Gehlot and held the number two position in the government, further heated the controversy over Gehlot’s statement by remarking, “what has the Chief Minister said wrong?  We believe the same, we have seen it ourselves.”

    Experts believe that the Gehlot camp constantly wants to remind that Pilot had tried to topple his own party’s government while being the Deputy Chief Minister and party president and Pilot is also deliberately escaping and not giving any direct reply on it. Next year elections are to take place in the state but it is clear that the efforts of unity among Congress leaders have been scuttled due to the tussle between the two camps.

  • BJP rift widens as leaders scuffle at Rajasthan meet

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR:  The infighting within the Rajasthan BJP refuses to abate despite top leadership’s repeated pleas for unity. In the latest episode, the rift resurfaced on Wednesday at a state working committee meeting in Kota where many supporters of ex-CM Vasundhara Raje were not allowed inside the venue. That led to a scuffle among BJP leaders. Raje had to leave the meeting, sources said.

    The two-day meeting was supposed to chalk out a strategy for the assembly elections. Many senior leaders such as Bhavani Singh Rajawat and former party vice president Prahlad Panwar along with the former CM Vasundhara Raje were to attend it. However, except Raje, everyone else was stopped at the gate. This angered the leaders, leading to a clash. Videos of the scuffle have gone viral.

    Raje was to speak for about 25 minutes on subjects like BJP’s victory in four states, Prime Minister Modi’s announcement of employing 10 lakh youth and the Agneepath Sainik Scheme. However, Raje left much before the meeting ended.State BJP chief Satish Poonia refused to take questions from the media.

    Later, leader of the Opposition Gulabchand Kataria said, “Raje had left before the meeting was over. Why she left without addressing a session, only she can tell.” Raje apparently went to RSS office where she spoke with officials for a few hours. Sources said she had prepared her speech on the Modi government’s achievements, but she was asked to speak on a new subject.

  • Sitharaman, Surjewala among 8 elected to RS, row over rules breach delays counting in Maha, Haryana

    By PTI

    BENGALURU/JAIPUR: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and senior leader Jairam Ramesh were among the eight candidates elected to the Rajya Sabha on Friday from Karnataka and Rajasthan, while counting got delayed in Maharashtra and Haryana amid wrangling by rival parties over alleged breach of voting rules.

    Representations made by the BJP and the Congress and its allies, accusing each other of flouting the open balloting rules and seeking invalidation of the votes of some MLAs, are being examined by the Election Commission.

    The counting will be taken up only after the poll panel gives the go ahead. In an emphatic endorsement for the BJP in Karnataka, the ruling party had the last laugh as it won all the three Rajya Sabha seats it contested out of the four that went to polls.

    The main opposition Congress managed to win only one of the two seats for which its nominees were in the fray, while the JD(S) drew a blank.

    Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor-politician Jaggesh, and MLC Lehar Singh Siroya of the BJP, and former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh of the Congress were declared victorious. Sitharaman and Ramesh have been re-elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka.

    There was suspense over the outcome of the fight for the fourth seat, which witnessed a tight contest between all the three major political parties none of which had enough votes for an easy win.

    However, BJP’s Siroya triumphed over Mansoor Ali Khan of the Congress and D Kupendra Reddy (JDS), apparently aided by cross-voting from rival parties and the help of Independents. In Rajasthan, the ruling Congress won three of the four seats and the BJP one.

    BJP-backed Independent nominee and media baron Subhash Chandra, whose entry into the fray had added spice to the electoral tussle, fell by the wayside. Chandra, who had won the last RS election as an Independent from Haryana, tried his luck from Rajasthan.

    Congress candidates Randeep Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari were declared elected, and so was BJP’s Ghanshyam Tiwari.

    In an interesting development, BJP MLA Shobharani Kushwah cross-voted in favour of Congress candidate Pramod Tiwari. The BJP promptly suspended her from the party’s primary membership.

    “When everybody knows that 126 MLAs are with us, why did they (BJP) field an independent candidate? They wanted to attempt horse-trading but that did not happen,” a jubilant Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told reporters at the Assembly complex in Jaipur.

    The victory of the Congress candidates has sent out a strong message in the country, he said, asserting the party will retain power in the Assembly elections next year. The Congress, with 108 MLAs in the 200-member Assembly, needed 123 votes to win the three seats. The Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) with two MLAs had extended support to it.

    The ruling party also had the claimed support of 13 Independents and one Rashtriya Lok Dal MLA, who is a state minister. On the other hand, the BJP had 71 MLAs. After the victory of its party candidate, who secured 43 votes, the BJP had 28 surplus votes to help Chandra’s bid.

    Three MLAs of the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) too had extended support to Chandra, but he still couldn’t manage the additional votes required for a victory.

    However, the counting was held up in Maharashtra after opposition BJP alleged three MLAs of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA)–Cabinet ministers Jitendra Awhad (NCP) and Yashomati Thakur (Congress), besides Shiv Sena legislator Suhas Kande violated the model code for voting.

    The Congress retaliated, demanding that the Election Commission invalidate the votes of BJP MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar and Independent MLA Ravi Rana.

    Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole, in a letter to the CEC claimed Mungantiwar “vitiated the voting procedure” by showing his ballot paper to people other than his own party’s election agents.

    Rana openly displayed the Hanuman Chalisa, a religious book, and sought to influence other voters, he alleged.

    The counting was also put on hold in Haryana for identical reasons after BJP nominee Krishan Lal Panwar and Independent candidate Kartikeya Sharma shot off a missive to the EC, alleging Congress MLAs Kiran Choudhary and B B Batra showed their ballot papers to unauthorised persons after marking them and that the episodes were “duly captured” on cameras.

    Prominent among the candidates who are expected to score a facile victory in Maharashtra include Union minister Piyush Goyal and Shiv Sena’s ubiquitous face and spokesperson Sanjay Raut. Both are sitting Rajya Sabha members from the state.

  • RS polls: BJP suspends Rajasthan MLA for voting in favour of Congress candidate

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: The BJP on Friday suspended its Rajasthan MLA Shobharani Kushwah for cross-voting in favour of Congress candidate Pramod Tiwari in the Rajya Sabha elections.

    Leader of Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria issued an order stating Kushwah voted for Tiwari despite a whip and that she was being suspended from the BJP’s primary membership.

    In the letter, Kataria also asked the MLA to clarify why she voted against the whip.

    BJP state president Satish Poonia said the party high command has been informed about the matter.

    The Congress fielded three candidates for the four Rajya Sabha seats in Rajasthan, while the BJP fielded one, besides supporting an independent candidate.

  • RS polls: With close contest expected in several states, parties sweat it out to keep flock together

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI/JAIPUR/MUMBAI: Ahead of the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, political temperatures were soaring in several states that could see close contests, with parties trying to keep their flock together and trading accusations of poaching of MLAs.

    After more than two decades, Maharashtra will witness a contest in the Rajya Sabha polls as there are seven candidates in the fray for six seats.

    The Shiv Sena has decided to shift its MLAs to a five-star hotel in south Mumbai to ward off overtures and the ruling MVA leaders were holding talks with smaller parties and Independents backing the tripartite dispensation.

    Maharashtra | Shiv Sena MLAs being shifted to a hotel in Malad, Mumbai ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections pic.twitter.com/BdZOI8CuBJ
    — ANI (@ANI) June 6, 2022
    The BJP has asked its MLAs to come to Mumbai in the next two days. “We were in ‘The Retreat’ (at Madh island in northwest Mumbai) and all our ministers too were present there. We will be moving to hotel ‘The Trident’ (in south Mumbai),” Sena MLA and party spokesperson Sunil Prabhu said.

    The Trident is a stone’s throw from the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly where voting will take place.

    In the 288-member House, smaller parties have 16 MLAs together while the number of Independents is 13. A total of seven candidates- BJP (3), Shiv Sena (2), NCP (1), and Congress (1)- are in the fray for the six RS seats. The contest for the sixth seat is between BJP’s Dhananjay Mahadik and Sena’s Sanjay Pawar.

    Mumbai | Ahead of June 10 RS polls, meeting of Maha Vikas Aghadi partners begins- Shiv Sena, Congress, NCP discuss the strategy. Maharashtra CM & Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, NCP’s Sharad Pawar, Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge among others present at Trident pic.twitter.com/JqPLg63saI
    — ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2022
    In Rajasthan, the BJP wrote to the Enforcement Directorate and the Rajasthan chief electoral officer, expressing apprehensions about horse-trading and the use of black money in the Rajya Sabha polls.

    The Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Gulab Chand Kataria, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia, Deputy Leader of Opposition Rajendra Rathore and party whip Jogeshwar Garg accused the Congress of misusing government machinery to intimidate MLAs.

    Their reaction came as Rajasthan police serve a notice to BJP legislator Chandrakanta Meghwal in a five-year-old assault case.

    Meghwal, who is camping in Jaipur with other MLAs of the party ahead of elections to the upper house, did not appear at the police station in Kota.

    ALSO READ | Congress complains to EC over ‘horse-trading’ in Rajya Sabha polls in Rajasthan

    After the notice, the opposition BJP accused Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of hatching a conspiracy but an aide of the Congres leader dismissed the charge saying the case against Meghwal was registered when the BJP was in power.

    The Congress had shifted its MLAs to Udaipur on June 2, saying it fears horse-trading by the BJP.

    Congress leader Mahesh Joshi gave a letter to the chief electoral officer demanding action against alleged horse-trading attempts.

    Joshi, however, did not name anyone or any party in the complaint. He had also given a similar complaint to the Anti-Corruption Bureau on Sunday. Elections to four seats of the Rajya Sabha from the state will take place on June 10.

    ALSO READ | Notice to Rajasthan MLA in five-year-old case, BJP links it to Rajya Sabha polls

    While the Congress can easily win two and the BJP one, the contest is for the fourth seat for which the BJP is backing Independent candidate Subhash Chandra.

    Chandra claimed that eight Congress MLAs may vote for him and asked former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot to also cross sides. This would be an opportunity for Pilot to avenge his “humiliation”, the media baron told reporters.

    Pilot, however, advised Chandra to withdraw from the contest to avoid being humiliated. “An advice to the Independent candidate of Rajasthan — Better to be out of the contest before voting on 10th. It is better to be humble than to be humiliated,” he tweeted.

    “Unfortunately politics is not like making a TV series where you decide who will do what,” he said, targeting the media baron.

    Meanwhile, an official statement claimed the two legislators of the Bharatiya Tribal Party (BTP) have decided to support the ruling Congress after meeting Gehlot.

    However, the legislators said they want to stay in a circuit house or any other place than the hotel where other Congress legislators are camping, according to the statement.

    Six candidates are in the fray for the Rajya Sabha poll to four seats from Karnataka, leading to a heated contest for the fourth seat. The Congress on Tuesday appealed to the ‘secular MLAs’ to cast their ‘conscience votes’ for their candidate Mansoor Ali Khan.

    Congress Karnataka unit chief D K Shivakumar said he and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were making this appeal to everyone in the Karnataka Assembly. Offering to trade second preference votes with the Congress, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said his main agenda is to defeat the BJP.

    The former chief minister also claimed that even if JD(S) manages to get the 22 second preference votes from the Congress, it will be in a leading position.

    Despite not having the adequate number of votes to win the fourth seat from the state Assembly, all the three political parties in the state — BJP, Congress and JD(S) — have fielded candidates for the seat, forcing an election.

    “My main agenda is that BJP should face a defeat, I’m ready for it. After Congress General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala called me, I calculated and have personally informed him that we (JDS) are ready to transfer our 32 second preference votes to Congress, but want their (Congress) 24 second preference votes in return,” Kumaraswamy said.

    Speaking to reporters, he said he doesn’t have a better offer than this to make and asked Congress to prove its “secular commitment”.

    The six candidates in the fray for Rajya Sabha polls from the state are – Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, actor-politician Jaggesh and outgoing MLC Lehar Singh Siroya from the BJP, former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh and state general secretary Mansoor Ali Khan from the Congress, and former MP D Kupendra Reddy from the JD(S).

    Despite the JD(S) seeking support to ensure Reddy’s election to the Upper House of the parliament, the Congress did not withdraw its second candidate Khan from the fray and has issued a whip to all its MLAs asking them to vote for the party’s candidates.

    There are talks within political circles that the BJP may be at an advantage if preference votes were to be counted and Congress and JD(S) don’t come to any understanding.