Cong bags Karnataka speaker's post ahead of Kumaraswamy floor test: Updates

Turmoil over government formation in Karnataka will end soon with newly sworn-in Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy facing a floor test in Bengaluru on Friday to prove his majority. While Kumaraswamy should sail through smoothly with the Janata Dal (Secular)-Congress coalition's support behind him, two possible irritants for the health of his government have already emerged.

One of the possible threats Kumaraswamy faces is from a repeat of Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) 'Operation Kamala', while the other has emerged from his coalition partner, the Congress, which has said that no decision has been taken on the full extent of his tenure as chief minister.

The coalition, however, received a major boost ahead of the floor test on Friday. Congress leader K R Ramesh Kumar was unanimously elected as Speaker of the house after BJP withdrew its leader Suresh Kumar's candidature for the post.

Kumaraswamy was sworn in at a grand assembly of Opposition and regional leaders, hailing from parties looking to form a joint front against the BJP ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, on Wednesday.

Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy says have stopped Modi's Ashwamedha horse: Updates

Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy has said that the Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress alliance has succeeded in "tying" Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Ashwamedha horse (victory horse) in Karnataka, insinuating that the Modi-Amit Shah duo's electoral juggernaut has been halted. On Wednesday, Kumaraswamy was sworn in as the 25th chief minister of Karnataka in a ceremony in Bengaluru that brought together anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (anti-BJP) regional and Opposition parties on a single platform ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

"I had said after the Uttar Pradesh election results came out that my aim is to tie the Ashwamedha horse of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah (BJP President). Today, both Congress and JD(S), together, have tied their Ashwamedha horse in Karnataka," said Kumaraswamy, adding, "Probably, in the days to come, Amit Shah has to go to Narendra Modi with lifeless Ashwamedha horse, as we have tied their horse."

The swearing-in ceremony, which also saw Congress' G Parameshwara sworn in as Karnataka deputy chief minister, showcased rare scenes of bonhomie between United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati, Nationalist Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav, Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Communist Party of India Member of Parliament D Raja, Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) chief Ajit Singh, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejaswi Yadav, and former Union minister Sharad Yadav.

Karnataka shows what Modi should most fear ahead of 2019 general elections

As a politician, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is distinguished by his relentlessness. Every vote, every constituency, every election matters. Modi has built his Bharatiya Janata Party into an electoral juggernaut that runs 21 of India’s 29 states; 70 per cent of India’s population is ruled by the BJP at both the state and the federal level.

In some of these states, such as the vast northern territory of Uttar Pradesh, the party swept elections on its own. In others, such as UP’s struggling neighbor Bihar, the BJP stole away one member of the ruling coalition in order to seize power for itself. In yet others, such as the coastal state of Goa, the opposition Congress Party in fact did better than the BJP in the elections only to discover that Modi’s lieutenants were far more skillful alliance-builders.

Last weekend, in the southern state of Karnataka -- home to India’s IT capital, Bangalore -- Modi discovered the limits of this strategy. Karnataka was the last major state ruled by Congress; after a bruising election campaign, the BJP ended up winning more seats in the state assembly, though not quite enough to form an outright majority.

Karnataka floor test tomorrow: Yeddyurappa says 100% confident; top updates

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The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP's) B S Yeddyurappa, sworn in as KarnatakaGovernment chief minister a day before, on Friday said he would obey the Supreme Court’s direction to face a floor test at 4 pm on Saturday. He was confident that he would be able to prove a majority, he added.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court reduced the 15-day window the BJP had been given by Governor Vajubhai Vala to prove its majority in the House and ordered that Yeddyurappa face a floor test on Saturday itself. The court was hearing the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) combine's plea challenging the Governor's decision to invite the BJP to form the next government in the state after the May 12 Assembly election threw up a fractured mandate. Even as Yeddyurappa said he was 100 per cent confident of proving full majority, the Congress termed the apex court's judgment "historic".

The hearing came after the apex court issued notices to the Karnataka government and Yeddyurappa seeking their replies on the plea filed by the Congress and JD(S), which have opposed Yeddyurappa's swearing-in and termed Governor Vajubhai Vala's decision to invite the BJP to form the government as "unconstitutional". Meanwhile, the Congress on Friday observed 'Save Democracy Day' across the country

Karnataka govt formation: Congress-JD(S) claim support of 118 MLAs, updates

Karnataka govt formation - Union minister Prakash Javadekar today rubbished JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy's charge that the BJP was offering Rs 1 billion to wean away his party MLAs in its bid to form a government in Karnataka, saying it is "imaginary". "Rs 100 crore, Rs 200 crore figures are imaginary. The BJP is not doing anything. This is the kind of politics the JD(S) and Congress play," he said. The union minister also accused the Congress and JD(S) of having come together by "unholy means."

Javadekar, who is in the state as the BJP makes an aggressive bid to come to the power after the poll results threw up a hung assembly, said his party was not in the practice of horsetrading and exuded confidence it will form the next government. "We are not in the habit of horsetrading of any kind and therefore we are going by the rule book, and we are forming the government. "That is our confidence. We have already met the Governor (Vajubhai Vala) and submitted our plea and we are very sure to form the government, a very stable government," he added.

The Karnataka Assembly election results threw up an unexpected suspense today, as a simple majority tantalisingly eluded BJP and the Congress quickly proclaimed support to third-placed JD(S) to keep the saffron party out of power. As the results of the poll in the state have left Karnataka Assembly in hung, the final decision will be taken by Governor Vajubhai Rudabhai Vala.

Karnataka election: Congress, BJP in talks with JD(S); top 10 developments

With just one more day to go before the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 results, BJP president Amit Shah has asserted that his party will form the next government in the state, while the Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(s), has claimed that neither incumbent chief minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah nor BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa will become chief minister of Karnataka. Siddaramaiah, for his part, has exuded confidence that the Congress will get an absolute majority in Karnataka and has ruled out any possibility of a tie-up with the JD(S).

Meanwhile, repolling on three polling booths -- one in north Bengaluru's Hebbal constituency and two in Kushtagi in Koppal district -- was scheduled to be held on Monday, according to the Election Commission (EC). The repolling was scheduled to be held from 7 am to 6 pm.

According to most of the post-poll surveys, the BJP is set to emerge as the single largest party in Karnataka, with the JD(S) likely to emerge as the kingmaker. As reported earlier, while most exit polls predicted a hung Assembly with the BJP ahead, two said the BJP would either come very close to or cross the halfway mark of 112 seats. However, the India Today-Axis exit poll said the Congress might bag a majority. No government in Karnataka since the Ramakrishna Hegde-led Janata Party in 1985 has been re-elected.

Karnataka election: Congress asks EC to disqualify BJP's Sriramulu; updates

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress' high-voltage campaign for the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 has ended, and the voting is scheduled to start in less than a day. The campaigning in the run-up to the crucial polls saw everything from a cross-fire of barbs to a fake voter ID haul. On the last day, Congress President Rahul Gandhi slammed the Modi government for issues ranging from atrocities against Dalits to the country's foreign policy as he expressed confidence in winning the Karnataka polls "hands down". BJP President Amit Shah, meanwhile, accused the Congress of making desperate attempts to win the election in an "undemocratic" way, adding that such machinations would not work and that his party would win 130-plus seats. Meanwhile, the Karnataka Police said that the election authorities were satisfied with the law-and-order situation in the state ahead of the polls.

The Congress' candidate from Bengaluru's Raja Rajeshwari Nagar Assembly segment has been booked in connection with the recovery of close to 10,000 voter ID cards from a flat there, along with over 100,000 counterfoils resembling acknowledgement slips used for addition of names into electoral rolls. Further, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday night deferred a decision on the recovery of voter ID cards from the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar flat, even as it sought fresh information from the state election machinery.

Karnataka election: Rahul Gandhi says Congress wining 'hands down'; updates

With the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 just two days away, the BJP and Congress' high-voltage campaigning will come to an end on Thursday at 5 pm. Prime Minister Narendra Modi today interacted with BJP Karnataka's SC/ST/OBC and slum morcha workers, slamming the Congress for disrespecting B R Ambedkar while trying to burnish his own government's record regarding welfare of SC/STs and OBCs. Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that he was confident of his party's victory in the Karnataka election.

For the BJP, party president Amit Shah and the party's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa will be campaigning in the state today, while Congress chief Gandhi and incumbent Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will campaign for their party on the final day.

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress chief Gandhi, the Karnataka election campaign has also seen political heavyweights Sonia Gandhi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaign for their respective parties.

Karnataka polls: Over 9,000 voter IDs seized from Bengaluru house; updates

Just three days before Karnataka Assembly election 2018, the Election Commission of Karnataka on Tuesday confirmed that its officials recovered 9,746 Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC) from an apartment in Bengaluru's Jalahalli area of the Raja Rajeshwari Nagar constituency. Reacting to the development, the BJP demanded cancellation of polling in Raja Rajeshwari Nagar, accusing the Congress of trying to "rig" the polls. Congress hit back, saying that a BJP leader was the owner of the Bengaluru flat from where the 'fake voter id had been found.

The development came hours after former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi faced off against each other while campaigning in Karnataka. The prime minister and the UPA chairperson attacked each other with stinging barbs, with Modi accusing Gandhi and her son (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi of destroying Congress to save the "dynasty", and Gandhi saying Modi's speeches alone could not "fill empty stomachs".

Polling in the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 will be held on May 12 and the results will be out on May 15.

Karnataka polls: This will be my last election, says Siddaramaiah

As the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 draws closer, top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress leaders are holding back-to-back rallies in the state to boost their respective parties' chances of securing a win in the crucial election. The Karnataka Election Watch and Delhi-based Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Monday analysed affidavits of Karnataka polls candidates, filed with the Election Commission (EC). Of the 2,654 candidates in the fray for the May 12 Karnataka Assembly elections, at least 883 are crorepatis and 645 have criminal cases against them, said the two watchdogs.

"The average assets of the 883 (35 per cent) crorepati candidates are worth Rs 75.4 million. Of the 645 contestants, 254 (10 per cent) face serious criminal cases and 391 (15 per cent) face criminal cases," revealed the study. Affidavits of all the contesting 223 BJP candidates were analysed. Two hundred and eight (93 per cent) of the 223 candidates in fray from the BJP have declared assets worth over Rs 10 million. Of the 2,654 candidates in the fray for the May 12 Karnataka Assembly elections, at least 883 are crorepatis and 645 have criminal cases against them - the highest number among all the parties contesting.

A total of 207 (94 per cent) of the 220 candidates from the ruling Congress, 154 (77 per cent) of the 199 candidates from Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) and 199 (18 per cent) of the 1,090 Independents have declared assets more than Rs 10 million.

Karnataka poll updates: Manmohan attacks Modi for 'economic mismanagement'

As the Karnataka Assembly election 2018 draws closer, top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress leaders are holding back-to-back rallies in the state to boost their respective parties' chances of securing a win in the crucial election.

Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, too, joined the Congress election campaign in the state on Monday, addressing a press conference in Bengaluru. Singh attacked the Modi government for its economic policies, saying that the country was facing a crisis that was avoidable.


Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Karnataka BJP Yuva Morcha workers. Addressing Karnataka BJP workers via NaMo app on Monday, the Prime Minister accused the Opposition of being against new technologies promoted by the central government.

Looking to dethrone the Congress-led government in Karnataka, Modi kick-started a series of election rallies in the poll-bound state on May 1, with a total of 21 rallies scheduled. On Sunday, he addressed rallies in Chitradurga, Raichur, Jamakhandi, and Hubli.
As the Karnataka election inches closer, a political slugfest has erupted in the state, with parties firing a barrage of barbs at one another. Gandhi has advised Prime Minister Modi to "copy" and implement at the Centre the Karnataka government's plan for the welfare of Dalits and Adivasis. Modi, for his part, reminded voters that United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and party chief Rahul Gandhi were out on bail in connection with a Rs 50-billion (Rs 5,000-crore) scam.

Karnataka polls: Modi rally at Kalaburagi; Rahul gives him F grade; updates

Karnataka Assembly election 2018 is seeing a fierce competition between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday undertaking his third round of campaigning in the poll-bound state and Congress President Rahul Gandhi on the same day visiting Karnataka for an eighth time this year. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also campaign in Karnataka today. While Modi addressed a rally at Kalaburagi early afternoon, Gandhi gave the Modi government an 'F' grade in his report card for its performance in uplifting agriculture in the state.

Ahead of the May 12 Assembly election, Modi had launched his campaign blitzkrieg on Tuesday, with a blistering attack on the Congress party chief Gandhi and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

Further, a day after Modi lavished praise on him at an election rally in Karnataka, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo H D Deve Gowda sought to play it down amid speculation of a BJP-JD(S) alliance or tacit understanding between the parties for the election. His remark came after Modi lashed out at Gandhi for "insulting" Gowda, saying that it showed his "arrogance". Countering Modi's statement, the Congress said that its president had not shown any disrespect to Gowda.

Karnataka election: Deve Gowda pours cold water on Modi's hopes; 10 updates

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal (Secular) (JD-S) has forged an alliance in Karnataka for many constituencies, but still the Congress party will sweep back to power in the forthcoming assembly polls. "In many constituencies, the BJP and the JD-S have joined hands, but they still would not be able to defeat us as the people are with us," Siddaramaiah said, while talking to the reporters.

Further attacking BJP chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, Siddaramaiah said that number of criminal cases has been registered against the former and such "corrupt" person will not get any support from the people.

He said that number of cases have been registered against Yeddyurappa and because of that, he want to come to power in Karnataka.

"Yeddyurappa does not even have minimum knowledge of law, I have no criminal charges against me. There are 23 cases against him, which is why he wants to be Chief Minister. The people will not support anybody who is corrupt," Siddaramaiah said.

Meanwhile, former prime minister Deve Gowda poured cold water on Modi's hopes of pre-poll alliance. Gowda insisted there was no possibility of his party tying up with the BJP ahead of the high stakes Karnataka assembly election. Distancing himself from the PM's statement, Deve Gowda said, "a Kannadiga had become the PM. How Siddaramaiah tried to demolish the Kannadigas pride, taking that as a background, he (PM Modi) said this is how Congress gives respect to Kannadigas, this does not mean a 'gathbandhan' (alliance)"

Karnataka election: Amit Malviya under EC lens, VVPATs for EVMS; 10 updates

Karnataka Assembly Elections will be held on May 12 and the result will be declared on May 15, 2018, the Election Commission announced on Tuesday. Karnataka elections will be held in a single phase. Chief Election Commission OP Rawat said that the model code of conduct has come into effect in the poll-bound state

The elections are being held to choose the 224 members of the Karnataka Assembly whose tenure ends in May 2018. The polls are being seen politically crucial for the ruling Congress, as well as the BJP, as Karnataka is the only big state where the former is in power after losing a string of Assembly elections to the saffron party in the past few years. The BJP is making a concerted bid to unseat the Congress. Besides, the Congress and the BJP, another player in the fray is former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's JD(S).

Currently, the Congress party holds a simple majority of 123 seats in the 224 constituencies’ strong Karnataka legislative assembly. The BJP holds 44 and the JD(s) has 40 seats respectively. BJP President Amit Shah on Monday asserted there was a "tsunami" in favour of his party which will not only defeat the ruling Congress but also 'uproot' it in the coming assembly polls in Karnataka. "After Gujarat elections, this is my Karnataka trip. Extraordinary enthusiasm is witnessed here. Earlier I was saying it was a BJP wave. Now I say it's a BJP tsunami" Shah said. Coming to Karnataka a day after Congress president Rahul Gandhi ended his fourth round of visit, he said "Rahul Gandhi is touring. He has been saying that Congress government will come in Karnataka.