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.

The post Snake enters BJP Office in CM’s Constituency appeared first on Star of Mysore.

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.

The post CM Bommai holds road show for V. Somanna in Varuna appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Bengaluru (Agencies): Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai took out a mega road show, with BJP National President J.P. Nadda and Sandalwood actor Sudeep, at his Constituency Shiggaon in Haveri this morning.

Bommai, who filed his second set of nomination at the Tahsildar’s Office, took out a road show after garlanding the statue of Kittur Rani at Chennamma Circle, along with Sudeep.

Later, Bommai along with Nadda and Sudeep took out a road show in a decked up vehicle amid the sea of people who came in droves from various corners of Haveri, most of them to catch a glimpse of Sudeep. 

 Sudeep was the crowd-puller, what with the huge crowd that had turned up, with the road wearing saffron look and the ecstatic party workers waving party and pro-Hindu flags written Jai Sri Ram in Kannada.

In a public meeting organised at Shiggaon Taluk Stadium, Bommai, who is seeking re-election for the fourth term from Shiggaon claimed that he has already won the elections and the road show was a victory rally.

Sudeep, who also addressed the gathering, appealed to the voters to support his ‘Bommai Mama’. He also quoted the line of a song, Geddhe Gellabeku Ollethana Ondu Dina (the goodness shall win one day), from one of his movies, crediting Bommai for doing good works in a short span of time.

 BJP National President Nadda also addressed the gathering.

The post Sudeep adds ‘star power’ to CM Bommai’s road show appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Nanjangud: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has promised that Varuna will be declared as a Taluk centre if the BJP is voted to power again.

Addressing a BJP poll rally near Golur circle on Nanjangud-Chamarajanagar road yesterday, Bommai said that Varuna Constituency has been hitting national headlines after the BJP fielded Housing Minister V. Somanna to take on Congress candidate and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah in his (Siddu) home turf. Alleging that there has been no development works in Varuna, which has been represented by the Congress ever since 2008 when the Constituency was formed. “Had  I knew earlier I would have announced Varuna as a taluk centre before coming to Mysuru,”  said CM.

Asserting that Somanna is fondly  called as ’Victory’ Somanna as he is known to win many a political battle, Bommai said Somanna’s win in Varuna would throw open a flurry of developmental works and activities in the Constituency.

Accusing the Congress Government of rampant corruption when it was in power, Bommai rubbished Congress allegations of 40 percent Commission Government as utterly baseless. He appealed the voters to create a history of sorts by ensuring an emphatic win for BJP candidate V. Somanna.

Minister V.Somanna in his address, said he was the not the person who would run away from electoral battles. Stating  that he believes that it is the desire of the almighty that made him to contest from Varuna, Somanna said that the people of Varuna who have elected the Congress candidate for three successive terms, should give him a chance now to see the real difference in terms of development and welfare.

MPs V. Sreenivas Prasad and  Pratap Simha, former Minister Kote M.Shivanna, MLC Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, former MLC Siddaraju, District BJP President Mangala Somashekar, party leaders B.N. Sadananda, Pratap, former MLC Prof. K.R. Mallikarjunappa, K.P.Siddalingaswamy, S. Maha-devaiah, N.R.Krishnappa Gowda, K.P. Siddaveerappa, L.R. Mahadevaswamy, Vijaykumar, Sharath Puttabuddhi, Manjunath, Subbanna, Guruswamy,  Prafulla Malladi and others were present.

The post Varuna to be Taluk centre if voted to power: CM Bommai appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Mysore/Mysuru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said the BJP is going to increase its stake in North Karnataka, despite the exit of senior leaders Jagadish Shettar and Laxman Savadi.

“Mark my words. Nothing is going to change. We are going to increase our stake in North Karnataka and we will come back with a thumping majority,” Bommai told reporters here.

He wondered why the Congress is concerned about Lingayats who have been ill-treated for the last 50 years. “They (Congress) have ill-treated former CM late Veerendra Patil and Rajashekar Patil. They also ill-treated former CMs S. Bangarappa and D. Devaraj Urs. People are aware of their use and throw politics. Congress has not only neglected Lingayats for 50 years, but also neglected Vokkaligas and Backward Castes,” he told reporters.

These remarks came in the light of AICC General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala’s comments that “BJP is doing injustice to Lingayats and other communities too including Vokkaligas. BJP is doing injustice to Lingayat community with bad intentions. They are also insulting Lingayat leaders and cheating on them. The Bommai Government also cheated SC, ST and OBCs. The same fraud was committed in the Vokkaliga community.”

Reacting to it, Minister C.C. Patil said Lingayats do not need the sympathy of the Congress as it had been neglecting the community for a long time.

“After former CM Jagadish Shettar’s issue, all of a sudden the Congress is expressing sympathy for Lingayats. Yediyurappa, Bommai and V. Sommana, belong to which community? I belong to which community?” asked Patil also a Lingayat.

The post Despite Shettar and Savadi’s exit, BJP will increase stake in North K’taka: CM Bommai appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Nanjangud: The high stakes political battle between Opposition leader and former Chief Minister Siddharamaiah of the Congress and Housing Minister V. Somanna of the BJP in Varuna Assembly segment of Mysuru district, the home Constituency of Siddharamaiah, shot off today with BJP candidate Somanna filing his nomination papers from Varuna at Taluk Panchayat Office in Nanjangud Taluk this noon, in the presence of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. He submitted the papers to Returning Officer Gaurav Kumar Shetty, Chief Administrative Officer, MMC&RI along with Mysuru-Kodagu MP Pratap Simha, Chamarajanagar MP V. Sreenivasa Prasad and BJP leader Sadananda.

Earlier, CM Bommai launched the poll campaign for Somanna by addressing a mega rally at Golur Circle on Nanjangud-Chamarajanagar road, in which thousands of people took part.

Addressing the rally, MP Sreenivasa Prasad, who was the first Speaker, said that he would do all he can to ensure the victory of BJP candidate Somanna. 

Maintaining that the people are upset with the false promises of the Congress, Prasad hoped that the BJP would retain power with an absolute majority this time. He further said that Varuna has earned nationwide attention as it is a key Constituency in which Somanna is taking on Congress leader Siddharamaiah, who is a CM aspirant, at his home turf, where the Congress has never lost.

Somanna, who is also the declared candidate for Chamarajanagar, would file his nomination papers there on Apr. 19. Congress candidate Siddharamaiah too will file his papers from Varuna on Apr. 19.

The post Battle for Ballot at Varuna Constituency: BJP’s Somanna files nomination accompanied by CM Bommai appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Bengaluru: Celebrated Kannada film actor Kiccha Sudeep will be canvassing for Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in the ensuing Assembly elections.

This was announced by Sudeep at a press conference held this afternoon in Bengaluru, in the presence of CM Bommai and other Cabinet Ministers. However, Sudeep made it clear that he would not be joining BJP or any other political party. He would canvass only for his ‘Mama’ Bommai as the latter knew him since his childhood.

The post Actor Sudeep to canvass for Bommai in polls appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai virtually inaugurated nine new Universities at an event held at Jnana Jyothi Auditorium in Bengaluru yesterday — Chamarajanagar University, Hassan University, Mandya University, Bidar University, Kodagu University, Koppal University, Bagalkot University, Haveri University and Raichur University.

Higher Education Minister Dr. C.N. Ashwathnarayan, Minister for Large and Medium Scale Industries Murugesh Nirani, Chief Minister’s Principal Secretary A. Manjunath Prasad, Education Department Deputy Chief Secretary S.R. Umashankar were present.

These Varsities were set up under the ‘One District-One University’ concept as aspired in the National Education Policy-2020 (NEP-2020). The CM also launched a Rs. 75 crore project to develop seven Government Engineering Colleges as ‘Karnataka Institutes of Technology’ (KITs). The newly constructed Karnataka Higher Education Academy building in Dharwad was also inaugurated.

“All the Universities are centres which will shape the future. Our Government has given more emphasis on education and health. Education should be growing and this kind of University is the first in the country. Everyone should adopt Karnataka’s model in the coming days,” Bommai said.

 “The KIT initiative was pursued with the aim of providing the best quality technical education to the youth of the State,” Bommai said. They would attain the IIT level in five years. KITs will enter into MoUs with reputed global educational institutions,” he added.

“Students are the future of our nation and the 21st century is the century of knowledge. Soon, India will become the world leader. Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emerged as a world leader. China also admired India’s control of Coronavirus. An educational institution means sanctity. Students should achieve their dreams,” Bommai added.

Dr. Ashwathnarayan said the Government has set up 25 Universities in the past four years. “It has been the demand and aspiration that there should be a University in all the districts and in this direction as a step the Government has opened new Universities. According to NEP, there should be at least one University in every district to fulfil the educational and skill needs of the youth there,” he said.

 Following the main virtual inauguration in Bengaluru, locally, separate events were held in Kodagu and Chamarajanagar to mark the occasion. At the Jnana Kaveri (Kodagu University) at Chikka Aluvara, the University’s first Vice-Chancellor Prof. Ashok Sangappa Alur said that the University aimed at good education for everyone. MP Pratap Simha, MLAs K.G. Bopaiah, M.P. Appachu Ranjan and others were present.

A programme was organised locally in Chamarajanagar where MLA C. Puttaranga Shetty, Vice-Chancellor Prof. M.R. Gangadhar and others participated.

Expressing happiness over the formation of the new University, the MLA said the PG Centre of the University of Mysore functioned for many years in Chamarajanagar. Now, an independent University has come up which is expected to improve the academic activities and bring benefits to the local population.

The post On inauguration-spree, CM Bommai launches nine Universities virtually appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Bengaluru: In a strategic move that comes days ahead of the announcement of Assembly elections, the State Government on Friday hiked the reservation quota for Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities by two percent each.

The hike will increase their reservation in the OBC pool to 6 percent and 7 percent under categories 2(C) and 2 (D) respectively, from the present 4 and 5 percent. The Government removed Muslims from the 2B category (4 percent) of Other Backward Classes (OBC) and split the quantum equally between Veerashaiva-Lingayats and Vokkaligas at 2 percent each.

The two communities were earlier under Categories 3A and 3B, which stand scrapped.

With this delicate balancing act, the BJP Government hopes to placate the politically dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga communities that had sought a hike in their quotas. The Government was especially under pressure from the Panchamasalis, a numerically stronger sub-sect of Lingayats, which has launched an indefinite stir at Bengaluru seeking adequate reservation.

Announcing this after probably what is his last Cabinet meeting ahead of the forthcoming Assembly polls, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that under the newly created categories of 2C and 2D in OBC quota for Vokkaligas and Veerashaiva-Lingayats, the reservation quota had increased from 4 percent to 6 percent and from 5 percent to 7 percent respectively.

In another move, the Cabinet decided to approve internal reservation among 101 Scheduled Castes and recommend it to the Centre for implementation. The break-up of the internal reservation for Scheduled Castes is: 6 percent for SC (Left), 5.5 percent for SC (Right), 4.5 percent for SC – Touchables (Banjara, Bhovi, Korcha, Kuruma etc.) and  1 percent for SC (Others), totalling 17 percent.

Will decide after discussing new reservation quota: Panchamasali Seer: Meanwhile, Panchamasali Seer Basavajaya Mrutyunjaya Swamji, who has been spearheading an indefinite stir seeking reservation for Panchamasali Lingayat sub-sect, which has a sizeable population in the State, said that he will announce his decision on whether to withdraw the agitation or not, after thoroughly studying the Government’s latest reservation quota announced on Friday.

“We will study the entire text of the reservation quota announced by the Government on Friday and come to a conclusion on whether to call off the agitation. As promised, Chief Minister Bommai has announced the reservation, which will be discussed with community leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, an MLA and other legal experts, before we make an announcement on calling off the stir on Mar.25. Until then, the community members  should not celebrate,” he pointed out.

The post Government hikes Lingayat and Vokkaliga reservation quota by 2 percent each appeared first on Star of Mysore.

Community welcomes Government’s long-pending decision

Madikeri: The State Government yesterday notified the constitution of the Karnataka State Kodava Development Corporation. This comes just days after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai made an announcement in Kodagu during the inauguration of the Appachattolanda Hockey Festival that the Corporation will soon be constituted. 

The notification stated that the newly constituted Corporation will strive for the comprehensive development of the Kodava community.

Virajpet MLA K.G. Bopaiah has thanked the Chief Minister for constituting the Corporation. “I had personally led a large delegation and met the Chief Minister underlining the importance of constituting a Board or a Corporation for the development of the community. Though this was a long-pending demand, the Chief Minister has notified it now,” he said.

People of Kodagu are thankful to the Government as the Corporation will exclusively strive for the development of the unique culture and distinct customs of Kodavas, he added.

The Kodava Development Corporation was one of the main and long-pending demands of the Kodava community. Expressing his happiness over the constitution of the Corporation, Kokkalemada Manju Chinnappa of the United Kodava Organisation, who was the force behind the demand, told Star of Mysore this morning that it is a huge victory for the community.

“Kodavas have played a crucial role in taking the State forward and reaching newer heights. We have unique tradition, customs, heritage and culture that needs to be protected and the Corporation is a huge step in this regard. The community has played a vital role in the country’s defence sector and sports field, earning national and international accolades, he added.

Though there are notable achievements from the community, Kodavas have remained politically weak when compared to many other communities in Karnataka.

“The State Government has finally honoured the genuine demand of a political and cultural minority. It is a well-deserved gift for the distinct community and the complete credit goes to CM Basavaraj Bommai, former CM B.S. Yediyurappa, MLA K.G. Bopaiah, former MLC Veena Achaiah, Congress leader and former Advocate General A.S. Ponnanna, other MLAs, MLCs and largely the community,” Manju Chinnappa added.

The post State constitutes Kodava Development Corporation appeared first on Star of Mysore.