Karnataka Assembly

SM Krishna served as Karnataka's chief minister from October 1999 to May 2004 and later as Maharashtra's governor in 2004

In a boost to the ruling Congress in Karnataka, the party on Saturday swept the by-polls to three Assembly segments, causing a major setback to the BJP-JD(S) alliance in the state. The Congress has retained Sandur, the seat considered to be its strong hold, and has also bagged Shiggaon and Channapatna segments, which were earlier held by BJP and JD(S) respectively. The November 13 by-polls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna Assembly segments had witnessed a fierce fight between the ruling Congress and a combative BJP-JD(S) alliance. The by-polls to Sandur, Shiggaon and Channapatna were necessitated as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister Kumaraswamy of JD(S) to Lok Sabha in May elections. The by-polls witnessed a straight fight between the ruling Congress and BJP in Sandur and Shiggaon segments, while in Channapatna, JD(S) which is part of the NDA alliance to

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Saturday gave credit to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's leadership as well as the five guarantees for the Congress party's success in the assembly bypolls. Shivakumar said this victory was a prelude to the 2028 assembly election where the party would once again win. The Congress won the Channapatna, Shiggaon and Sandur Assembly segments. The by-elections were held on November 13 and the results were announced today. The ruling Congress on Saturday retained its strong hold of Sandur, with its candidate E Annapoorna, winning the seat by defeating BJP's ST Morcha president Bangaru Hanumanthu. In the Channapatna segment, Congress' C P Yogeeshwara won the "high profile" seat by defeating JD(S) candidate and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil Kumaraswamy. Similarly, Congress' Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan won the Shiggaon Assembly segment by defeating former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's son Bharath Bommai. "Our guarantees, ...

Low saturation rates delaying HFR process: Officials

The BJP MLAs had entered the well of the House, insisting on a thorough investigation into the scam

The opposition BJP and JD(S) held an all-night dharna in both Houses of the Karnataka Legislature demanding a discussion on the alleged fraudulent allotment of sites to land losers by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA), which involves plots given to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's wife. The BJP and JD(S) legislators spent the night in the Assembly and Council. As part of the protest, they held demonstrations holding placards, and raised slogans -- in the form of "bhajans" -- against the Congress government, Siddaramaiah and Speaker U T Khader for not allowing a discussion. The legislators including Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka, and BJP state President and MLA B Y Vijayendra later slept in the Assembly premises. Similar scenes were seen at the Legislative Council too. The opposition parties said they would continue their protest on the issue in both the Houses on Thursday too. Claiming that the needle of suspicion in the MUDA "scam" is pointing towards the .

The now paused bill mandated a 50 per cent quota for administrative roles and a 75 per cent quota for non-administrative roles in the private sector for the locals, triggering a massive row

The proposed bill mandates companies to reserve 50 per cent of management jobs and 70 per cent of non-management jobs for local residents

The opposition BJP legislators in Karnataka on Monday staged a demonstration against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah-led Congress government alleging rampant corruption in the state. The legislators led by BJP state president B Y Vijayendra and the Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka staged a sit-in demonstration near the Maharshi Valmiki statue near the Legislative House amid drizzles. Holding placards, they raised slogans condemning the Congress government. They also took out a march with banners denouncing the government. Later speaking to reporters, Vijayendra accused the government of being against Dalits and Scheduled Tribes and said the BJP will continue its fight against it inside and outside the Karnataka Assembly. "The investigation into the Rs 187 crore Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation scam has revealed that the money was utilised in the Lok Sabha election," he alleged. He claimed that the family of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wa

Alleged financial irregularities in ST Corporation and the Cauvery river water sharing issue are likely to rock the monsoon session of the Karnataka assembly, which starts from July 15. The assembly is expected to witness some noisy scenes as the opposition BJP is planning to raise the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation scam worth Rs 187 crore and the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) scam. Congress MLA B Nagendra, who resigned his position as the Tribal Welfare Minister, has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate while search is on for the Valmiki Corporation chairman and MLA Basavaraj Daddal. The scam came to light after the Accounts Superintendent of the Corporation Chandrasekharan P died by suicide on May 26. The Congress government thereafter constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT), which has so far arrested 11 people in connection with the case. The opposition BJP and the JD(S) have demanded the resignation of Chief Minist

Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said central agencies like the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) should not become "political weapons". His comments come a day after the ED on Friday arrested former minister B Nagendra in connection with a money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited. Following allegations against him in connection with the scam, Nagendra, who was Scheduled Tribes Welfare Minister, had tendered his resignation on June 6. "I have said that ED is probing him (Nagendra), based on the information they get, they will take action. Now he has been arrested. Based on the information they have, he has been arrested. These procedures happen in accordance with the law, but this should not be used politically," Parameshwara said. Addressing reporters here, he said central agencies like CBI, ED should not become political weapons. The ED had earlier this week ...

BJP stalwart B S Yediyurappa on Thursday challenged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to dissolve the Karnataka Assembly and go for elections now and claimed that the saffron party will win 140 to 150 seats. He said the people of the state have rejected the 'useless guarantees', money and muscle power of the Congress government and opted for the BJP in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. "I challenge Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, if he has guts, then dissolve the Assembly and go for elections again. Then only you will know what your position is. If the elections are held, BJP will win 140 to 150 seats," the Lingayat strongman said during the BJP state special executive meeting organised at the Palace Grounds here. Karnataka has 224 Assembly and 28 Lok Sabha seats. The former chief minister said in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP-JD(S) alliance won 19 seats and the BJP got a majority in 142 assembly segments. Just a year ago, the Congress had come to power by winning 134 seats, b

The Karnataka unit of BJP on Monday staged statewide protests against the alleged brutal murder of a young woman in Hubbali. Neha Hiremath (23), daughter of Congress councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was allegedly stabbed to death on the campus of BVB College in Dharwad on April 18 sparking statewide outrage. Neha was a first year student of Master of Computer Applications and the accused in the case, Fayaz, was earlier her classmate. Fayaz has been arrested by the police. The party decided to stage statewide protests accusing that the Congress government's alleged "appeasement politics" was responsible for the incident. The party also highlighted a series of incidents such as the bomb blast in Rameshwaram Cafe in Bengaluru, attack on youths for chanting Jai Sri Ram, and reciting Hanuman Chalisa. The BJP State President B Y Vijayendra led the protests in Mysuru, while the Leader of Opposition R Ashoka and former Chief Minister and Haveri BJP .

Amid a banner of revolt raised by senior BJP leader K S Eshwarappa, the party's Karnataka President B Y Vijayendra on Monday expressed confidence about the issue getting resolved, and said it was natural for aspirants to get upset on not getting the ticket to contest elections. Acknowledging Eshwarappa's contribution in building and strengthening the BJP in Karnataka, he said the candidates for Lok Sabha polls were decided by the national leadership of the party, and it was not his decision. Eshwarappa has announced he will contest as an independent candidate from Shimoga seat in the coming Lok Sabha polls, blaming Vijayendra and his father and veteran BJP leader B S Yediyurappa for his son K E Kantesh being denied a party ticket from Haveri constituency. Former CM Basavaraj Bommai has got BJP's Haveri ticket. Yediyurappa's son and sitting MP B Y Raghavendra is the BJP candidate from Shimoga. Eshwarappa, who is firm on contesting despite efforts by the party leaders to pacify him, h

Rajya Sabha member Syed Nasir Hussain has denied the allegations, clarifying that his supporters were chanting "Nazir saab zindabad" not "Pakistan zindabad"

In a setback to the ruling Congress in Karnataka, a bill that sought to collect funds from temples with over Rs 10 lakh annual income was defeated by the opposition BJP-JD(S) combine in the Legislative Council. The Karnataka Hindu Religious Institutions and Charitable Endowments (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was passed by the Legislative Assembly earlier this week. It was defeated by a voice vote in the Upper House, where the opposition has a majority, on Friday. The bill among other things, proposes to collect five per cent from temples whose gross income is between Rs 10 lakh and less than Rs one crore and 10 per cent from temples whose income is above Rs one crore, to be put into a Common Pool Fund, administered by 'Rajya Dharmika Parishath', which is proposed to be used for Archakas' (priests) welfare and upkeep of 'C' category temples (state controlled) whose annual income is less than Rs five lakh. The act that was earlier amended in 2011 had made way for five per cent of the net .

The Bill allows developers to build additional floors by purchasing additional FAR and paying a fee of 40% of the guidance value to the local planning authorities. The Bill also allows selling FAR

The Karnataka Assembly has passed a bill to slash the penalty on property tax in Bengaluru city limits by 50 per cent. The bill - Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Amendment Bill 2024 - was tabled in the Assembly by Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, who holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio and was passed on Tuesday. "With the passing of this Amendment Bill, the penalty amount is halved, saving Bengalureans a whopping Rs 2,700 crore. The BBMP will be able to collect penalties worth Rs 1,000 crore," a statement issued by Shivakumar's office said. This important amendment will benefit around 13 to 15 lakh people in Bengaluru city including 5.51 lakh taxpayers, five to seven lakh people outside the property tax bracket and three lakh partial property taxpayers, it added. Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said the BJP would oppose this bill as it would lead to large-scale corruption. The Amendment Bill has a provision to give a special rebate to the poor. Governme

Karnataka budget 2024: The announcement was made during the 15th budget presentation by Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who also holds the finance portfolio of the state

More than 1.2 crore families are coming out of the poverty line and rising to middle-class status because of the guarantee schemes implemented by the Karnataka Government, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot said on Monday projecting the state's model of development. In his customary address to both Houses of Legislature at the beginning of the budget session, he also said Karnataka gets less in terms of tax share (devolution), despite being ranked second among the states that collects highest tax in the country, remarks seen in the context of the Congress government taking a dig at the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre. Interestingly, the BJP legislators were seen wearing saffron shawl during the proceedings today, and shouted "Jai Sri Ram", "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" slogans at the end of the Governor's speech. "In today's context of increasing economic inequality in the country, Karnataka is leading economically by following the path of development, by reducing economic inequality," Gehlot