Mysore/Mysuru: With Chief Minister Siddharamaiah set to lay the foundation stone for Kidwai Peripheral Cancer Care Centre in PKTB Sanatorium premises on KRS road in Mysuru tomorrow (Dec.22), MP Pratap Simmha has recalled the role of former BJP Chief Ministers B.S. Yediyurappa (BSY) and Basavaraj Bommai, who were responsible for the setting up of this centre.

In a press release, Pratap Simmha said that BSY as CM sanctioned the Cancer Centre in the 2020 budget. Later, Bommai, who succeeded BSY, sanctioned Rs.50 crore for the project in the budget and the then Revenue Minister R. Ashok  sanctioned 18 acres of land for the project at Dadadakallahalli in Yewal Hobli of Mysuru taluk for free.

Also, the then Medical Education and Health Minister Dr. K. Sudhakar, the then Mysuru District Minister S.T. Somashekar, the then Chamaraja MLA L.Nagendra and the then Bengaluru’s Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology Director Dr. C. Ramachandra had extended their full support.

As such, it is necessary to express our gratitude to them for their role in the setting up of the Cancer Care Centre.

Apart from the Peripheral Cancer Centre, the inauguration of the new hostel building for girl students of Mysore Medical College and Research Institute, built at a cost of Rs. 42 crore, with 60 percent funding from Union Government and 40 percent funding by the previous BJP Government, will also take place tomorrow, the release said.

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Bengaluru: Ahead of his taking over as the State BJP President from the incumbent President Nalin Kumar Kateel on Nov. 15, Shikaripur MLA B.Y. Vijayendra, the son of senior BJP leader and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, met top leaders of the BJP and its coalition partner, the JD(S), at their residences in Bengaluru today.

Vijayendra first met BJP MLA and former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai  at his Bengaluru residence, where the former CM is recuperating after a surgery and sought his co-operation in leading the party to victory in the crucial Lok Sabha (LS) polls to take place in the first half of next year.

Bengaluru MLA Krishnappa, MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy and others accompanied Vijayendra.

He later met Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and sought his support. The former PM is said to have given some tips on leadership and fighting the polls.

Stressing on the need for the re-election of Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister at a time when the country is going through a transitional phase in terms of development and economic growth, Deve Gowda blessed Vijayendra for achieving success in the LS polls.

MLA Krishnappa, former Minister D.C. Thammanna, Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna and others were present on the occasion.

Vijayendra’s meeting with the JD(S) Supremo assumes special significance in the backdrop of the BJP and JD(S) deciding to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as a coalition.

The State BJP Chief-designate later met top leader and former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and sought his guidance and blessings. He was wished  success by the veteran leader, who has announced his retirement from active politics.

Vijayendra is likely to meet other top and key leaders and functionaries of the BJP either today evening or tomorrow, before he takes charge as Karnataka BJP President at the BJP State Headquarters in Malleshwaram here on Nov. 15.

Later in the day today, Vijayendra is likely to hold a video-conference with 4-5 District Unit Presidents of the party and discuss the party’s organisational matters and the strategy to be adopted for ensuing LS polls.

The Shikaripur MLA is also likely to visit Mysuru on Nov. 19 or Nov. 20.

Meanwhile, scores of BJP leaders and workers from across the State continue to make a beeline to the residence of B.Y. Vijayendra in Bengaluru to wish him on his appointment to the top post of State BJP.

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Srirangapatna: Accusing the State Congress Government of failing to protect the interests of Karnataka in Cauvery row, former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai alleged that the Congress has betrayed the State by releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu at a time when the State was staring at drought.

Speaking to presspersons after leading a BJP delegation to KRS Dam in the taluk yesterday, Bommai maintained that the State Government had miserably failed in convincing the Cauvery Water Management Authority on the actual availability of water in KRS Dam. Charging the State Government of releasing water to TN even before the Court would deliver its order, he said that following widespread protests, the Government has told the Court that it would stop releasing water after Sept.12. The BJP would launch a massive agitation if Cauvery water is released in violation of its submission  in the Court, Bommai said adding that the BJP would press for a crisis period  water-sharing formula  and execution of Mekedatu project across Cauvery river along Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border.

Media prevented

Bommai vented out his anger for not allowing media persons to enter the KRS Dam. He alleged that the Government had restricted media persons to the Dam in order to hide its clandestine release of water to TN in order to please the DMK Government there.

Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha too took strong exception for disallowing mediapersons to the dam. Asserting that mediapersons were no terrorists, he said  Government was desperately trying to hide facts concerning water release. He accused  the Congress Government of failing to argue its case strongly  in the Supreme Court as it was mired in excitement following implementation of its poll guarantees.

He also charged the Congress Government of trying to please its electoral partner in Tamil Nadu, the DMK, by releasing more water. Simha warned of a severe agitation if the Government continued to release water to TN at a time when Karnataka is facing drinking water crisis.

Water flow to Tamil Nadu stopped

Even as the BJP delegation headed by former CM Basavaraj Bommai visited the KRS Dam, the State Government on Friday stopped release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. The Government had been releasing more than 5,000 cusecs of water every day from KRS to TN for the past 10 days, which had angered the State farmers, forcing them to launch agitations and stirs.

Following the stoppage of water release to Tamil Nadu, the Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited (CNNL) authorities started release of water in canals of KRS reservoir. About 3,500 cusecs of water is expected to flow through the channels by Friday night, according to CNNL officials who also said that the water level in KRS Dam stood at 98.06 ft. with an inflow of 2,873 cusecs and outflow of 3,990 cusecs.

Asserting that water release to Tamil Nadu has been completely stopped, the officials further said that 35.53 TMC of water has been released to Tamil Nadu from July 7 till now.

Former Ministers R. Ashoka, Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan and Govind Karjol, MLA T.S.Srivatsa, party leaders Dr. Siddaramaiah, Sachidananda, Dr. Indresh, Ashok Jayaram, Mandya District BJP President C.P. Umesh, Mysuru Mayor Shivakumar and others were present.

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Bengaluru: Even as the BJP is yet to name its Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, even after two months of the declaration of the Assembly results with the Congress returning to power with a thumping majority, former BJP Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has subtly hinted that JD(S) Legislature Party Leader H.D. Kumaraswamy (HDK) may become the Opposition Leader, should the JD(S) and the BJP strike a coalition shortly.

In an informal chat with press-persons during the ongoing Assembly Session here yesterday, Bommai, who is also a senior BJP leader, said that a National-level meet of Opposition parties under the leadership of former AICC President Sonia Gandhi is going to take place at Bengaluru on July 17 and 18.

As a counter, the BJP, as part of its plans to expand its  NDA (National Democratic Alliance) coalition ahead of next year’s Lok Sabha polls, is also holding a meeting at Delhi on July 18, to bring all anti-Congress regional parties under the NDA and the JD(S) is likely  to be a part of it in Karnataka, he said.

The BJP High Command is going to take a decision on the Opposition Leader in the Karnataka Assembly only after the July 18 NDA meeting, he noted adding that the speculation over Kumaraswamy becoming the Opposition Leader of the BJP-JD(S) combine  may become a reality only if the JD(S) formally joins the NDA coalition.

Meanwhile, adding credence to Bommai’s informal statement, Congress MLA and former Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi, who was with the BJP for long and quit the party after he was denied the ticket in the Assembly polls, said in the Assembly on Wednesday  that Kumaraswamy was going to be the Opposition Leader.

Even as Chamundeshwari JD(S) MLA G.T. Devegowda (GTD) was speaking during the debate on the Governor’s address, when the MLA wanted to know why the Opposition BJP had not yet announced the name of the Opposition Leader and why the BJP has not come up with the actual reason why B.S. Yediyurappa was asked to resign as the CM in 2021, Congress MLA from Athani Laxman Savadi  intervened to say that the Leader of the Opposition post has almost come at the doorsteps of the JD(S), which GTD may also be in the know.

Maintaining that the BJP High Command, which is fed up with the internal bickering in its State Unit, is considering the possibility of making Kumaraswamy as the Opposition Leader, he said that the BJP has also put on hold the announcement of the new President of the State Unit probably for this reason.

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Bengaluru: The main Opposition party BJP has upped its ante demanding Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the murder of Jain Seer Sri Kamakumar Nandi Maharaj of Nandi Parvat Ashram at Hirekodi in Chikkodi taluk, in Belagavi district recently.

A section of BJP Legislators staged a protest under the leadership of former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, in front of Mahatma Gandhi statue in the premises of Vidhana Soudha, the seat of State Legislature here this morning.

They later took out a protest rally to Raj Bhavan where they lodged a complaint with the Governor, against the State Government alleging failure to maintain law and order situation in the State.

Speaking to media persons outside Raj Bhavan, Bommai said: “Two months since Congress Government came to power, a jungle raj has been created in the State. There is no security to common man and women. Even our workers are threatened. The anti-social elements are thriving, with the recent instance of a double-murder where the accused posts about the incident on a social networking site.”

We will continue to protest in and outside the Assembly against this Government, which has even turned down the demand for CBI probe into the incident, added Bommai.

Memorandum

In their memorandum to Governor, they explained that “The brutal murder of Jain Seer in Karnataka has brought the spotlight on the State, which recently saw a change of guard after a highly contested election that was held in May.”

In another incident on July 9, a 32-year-old man associated with Yuva Brigade was hacked to death in T. Narasipur of Mysuru district. Venugopal Nayak, a resident of Srirampura Colony, was stabbed to death over a trivial matter during Hanuma Jayanti celebrations on the outskirts of T. Narasipur while in Kalaburagi a Head Constable was mowed down by sand mafia.

The memorandum also mentioned about ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogans heard openly in public at Belagavi and a disturbing comment against particular community in Bhatkal and two youths riding a two-wheeler in Hassan with a gun in hand.

Former Ministers and sitting MLAs R. Ashok, Dr. C. N. Ashwathnarayan, Araga Jnanendra and V. Sunil Kumar, MLAs T. S. Srivatsa, D. Vedavyas Kamath, B.Y. Vijayendra, B. P. Harish, Sharanu Salagar and several others took part in the protest.

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PM Modi collects report from a Union Minister from Karnataka about party’s poor show

Bengaluru: Following the disastrous show of BJP in the recent Assembly elections in the State, a Union Minister hailing from Karnataka has submitted a report to Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding the then Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, State BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel and a Sangh Parivar leader responsible for the severe drubbing received by the party.

 It is said that, following the results of the elections, the PM summoned the Union Minister of Karnataka origin to his residence and collected information about the poor show of the party.

PM Modi also questioned the leader as to what they were doing when Congress was harping about 40 percent commission? In his reply, the Union Minister has told the PM that the previous CM Bommai had himself told others not to rack their brain, taking the responsibility of countering such serious issues on his own. Another main reason for the debacle was raking up reservation issue on the cusp of elections. Both Kateel and Bommai also failed to handle responsibilities efficiently. While Kateel restricted himself to Mangaluru (Kateel’s home town), Bommai failed to have a firm grip on the administration and failed to tackle the Opposition party efficiently.

Some of the tough decisions of Sangha Parivar during the election also added to the failure of the party. If the party was keen on denying ticket to old timers, they should have abided by it. Instead, the ticket was denied to party loyalists like former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and former Deputy Chief Minister K.S. Eshwarappa, but senior legislators like G.H. Thipppareddy of Chitradurga and others who were facing charges were given ticket. This move not just angered party workers, but also some of the communities.

Despite intensified lobbying for ticket by Shettar and another former Deputy CM Laxman Savadi, the Sangh Parivar leaders ignored them. As a result, the party had to pay a heavy price in Mumbai Karnataka and Kalyana Karnataka (Hyderabad-Karnataka) regions. Congress succeeded in using all our mistakes to its own political advantage. More than that, the pre-poll guarantees of Congress also proved handy in its victory, the Union Minister is learnt to have apprised the PM.

“If we (BJP) strengthen the organisation systematically and rectify the mistakes, we can taste success in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections,” the Union Minister is said to have advised Modi.

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Bengaluru: Caretaker Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has thanked the bureaucrats for their co-operation in taking firm decisions during his tenure in office.

Bommai informally spoke during a tea party hosted for the Officers at his home office Krishna here yesterday.

“We abide by the Constitution and both Legislative and Executive play key roles in administration. When I assumed office, we had to face Covid-19 pandemic and flood, but successfully handled those situations,” said Basavaraj Bommai.

Bommai further said that “No violence was reported during our tenure and the elections also passed off without any untoward incidents. I congratulate Home Ministry for this. We have taken several firm decisions like hike in quota of reservation, challenges of Government employments, new policies related to employment and industries.  The role of Officers in bringing out new policies and schemes was pivotal.”

“We will be in power for five years, but you (Officers) will be in power for longer years. Let’s all strive for the progress of the State. I may have sounded tough at times, but there was nothing personal,” said Bommai.

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Bengaluru: A strange incident occurred at the Shiggaon Constituency this morning, where Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is running for re-election for the fourth time straight, as the Assembly election votes were being counted in Karnataka.

A snake entered the BJP Office premises in Shiggaon, spreading chaos among the people present there, but it was later rescued, and the building premises were secured amid the CM’s presence.

The snake reportedly appeared at the premises of the BJP Office as Bommai arrived there.

The video of the incident also surfaced online. In the video, it could be seen that the snake was captured by the guards present inside the BJP Office.

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Hubballi: A day before the counting of votes, a power transformer located close to Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s residence at Hubballi yesterday burst.

The transformer near the CM’s residence at Vishweswaranagar suddenly burst into flames, creating panic in the area for some time. Short circuit is said to be the cause of the burst.

Meanwhile, Netizens who are upset with the Power tariff hike, said that it is the curse of the people that caused the burst.

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T. Narasipur: As the ruling BJP aims to turn on the tables against Congress candidate Siddharamaiah in Varuna Assembly segment, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday campaigned for party candidates V. Somanna (Varuna) and Dr. Revanna (T. Narasipur). Some parts of T. Narasipur taluk come under Varuna segment.

Bommai began his campaign by offering special prayers at the famed Gunjanarasimhaswamy Temple in the town. During a road show organised as part of the campaign, Bommai lashed out at the Congress.

Highlighting the Government’s efforts during the COVID pandemic, Bommai said that Somanna is another name for development and as such the people should elect him from Varuna and Dr. Revanna from T. Narasipur.

Terming the Congress guarantee card as bogus, Bommai said that the Congress was giving false assurances to the people in the hope of coming to power. Asserting that the Congress would lose the polls, the CM asked the BJP workers to carry out door-to-door campaign against the misdeeds of the Congress and its bogus claims. He also maintained that Somanna would create history by defeating former CM Siddharamaiah in Varuna.

Pointing out that actors Sudeep and Darshan have campaigned for the BJP taking note of the party’s achievements, he appealed the T. Narasipur voters to see the change by electing the BJP candidate Dr. Revanna.

Varuna candidate and Housing Minister V. Somanna said that he was shocked to find out that Varuna, which was represented by Siddharamaiah for two terms, lacked basic amenities, despite being the home Constituency of the former CM. Noting that he has come to the Constituency following the directions of the BJP High Command, Somanna appealed the people to give him a chance and see what development really means.

During the road show from Gunjanarasimhaswamy Temple, Bommai was accompanied by Varuna BJP candidate V. Somanna, T. Narasipur candidate Dr. Revanna, Chamarajanagar MP V. Sreenivasa Prasad, actor Shashikumar, party leader Appanna and others.

Actor Sudeep fails to turn up

Actor Sudeep, who was supposed to campaign by holding a road show for T. Narasipur BJP candidate Dr. Revanna yesterday afternoon after the CM’s event in the town, failed to turn up, which disappointed his fans and the huge gathering lined up along the road sides to have a glimpse of the popular actor. Thousands of people had gathered in the vicinity of Gunjanarasimhaswamy Temple in anticipation of the actor’s visit. But the announcement that Sudeep would not be coming, came as a big disappointment for them, following which some in the gathering raised slogans against the BJP.

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