Seeking blessings: Karnataka CM-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy at the Ranganathaswamy temple in Srirangam.M. SRINATH
Earlier, Mr. Kumaraswamy, who was accompanied by his brothers H.D. Revanna, Balakrishna and Ramesh, was given a warm reception at the Renga Renga Gopuram. He arrived by a special flight from Bengaluru.
Mr. Kumaraswamy also offered worship at the Thaayaar Sannidhi, Sri Chakrathalwar and Sri Garudalwar Sannidhi and Sri Dhanvanthiri Sannidhi for over an hour.
As he entered the shrine of Lord Ranganatha, a few devotees pleaded with Mr. Kumaraswamy to release Cauvery water. He shook hands with them and said, “Okay”.
****
JD(S) president H.D. Kumaraswamy addressing media after meeting with Congress president Rahul Gandhi at his residence in New Delhi on Monday. | Photo Credit:
Shanker Chakravarty
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...es-in-delhi/article23951233.ece?homepage=true
Earlier in the day, the chief minister-designate meets BSP chief Mayawati
Janata Dal (Secular) leader and
Karnataka chief minister-designate H.D. Kumaraswamy on Monday met Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and discussed the power-sharing arrangement in the State.
Mr. Kumaraswamy's first stop, however, was BSP chief Mayawati's residence. Senior BSP leaders Satish Chandra Misra and Danish Ali were present during the meeting.
Sources in the BSP said the two leaders discussed the shape of the Congress-JD (S) cabinet and the possibility of sole BSP MLA N Mahesh getting a berth. The BSP and the JD(S) have a pre-poll alliance in the state.
During their over half-an-hour meeting, Mr. Kumaraswamy also invited Ms. Mayawati for the oath taking ceremony of the new council of ministers.
The sources said the discussions between the two largely revolved around the role regional parties could play to stop the BJP from returning to power in the next Lok Sabha polls.
Two deputy CMs issue
In a brief interaction with journalists after the meeting with the Congress leaders, Mr. Kumaraswamy was questioned about the possibility of two deputy chief ministers. He said the announcement would be made on Tuesday. He also indicated that "more than one person will be sworn in on Wednesday."
The JD(S) leader had indicated that there won’t be a rotational arrangement with the Congress for the post of chief minister.
Mr. Kumaraswamy is scheduled to take oath as Chief Minister on May 23 and the floor test is expected to happen within 24 hours. Both the Congress and JD(S) MLAs will remain confined to their hotels till the floor test.
******
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...bjp-is-fake/article23951619.ece?homepage=true
Bengaluru, May 21, 2018 19:19 IST
Updated: May 21, 2018 19:48 IST
In a Facebook post in Kannada, Mr. Hebbar on Monday questions the authenticity of the audio clip, saying his wife did not receive any such call.
In a development that could leave the Congress red-faced, its
Karnataka MLA, Shivaram Hebbar, on Monday dismissed an audio clip released by the party to allege that the BJP offered money and ministerial berth to him for cross-voting during the floor test in the Assembly.
The Congress had released three audio tapes in the run-up to the floor test, claiming that the BJP leaders were trying to ‘poach’ on the party MLAs by offering ‘blandishments’ so that the B.S. Yeddyurappa government is saved.
One of the audio tapes released by the party had a conversation allegedly between Mr. Hebbar’s wife and BJP leaders, who allegedly offered money and ministerial post to ''woo him to vote for the BJP.''
In the audio tape in question, Mr. Yeddyurappa’s son B.Y. Vijayendra and his close associate B.J. Puttuswamy purportedly speak to Mr. Hebbar’s wife, offering money and ministerial position to her husband if he cross-voted in favour of the BJP during the floor test.
However, in a Facebook post in Kannada, Mr. Hebbar on Monday questioned the authenticity of the audio clip, saying his wife did not receive any such call.
“This is not my wife’s voice and she has not received any such calls. The audio tape is fake. I condemn it,” he wrote.
State Congress sticks to its stand
Reacting to Mr. Hebbar's statement, State Congress spokesman V.S. Ugrappa demanded that Mr. Vijayendra and Mr. Puttuswamy undergo forensic voice test for their alleged involvement.
“The audio clip released to the media is genuine, not fake. Yes, our legislator is correct when he says, it is not his wife’s voice, but the voices of Vijayendra and Puttuswamy are genuine. If these leaders have guts, they should undergo forensic voice test,” he told reporters in Bengaluru.
The Karnataka polls threw up a hung Assembly, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, but eight short of majority. Governor Vajubhai Vala invited the BJP to form a government and Mr. Yeddyurappa was sworn in as chief minister.
As the floor test approached, the Congress alleged that the BJP was indulging in horse-trading and released the audio tapes to back their charges.
In the audio tape in question, Mr. Puttuswamy allegedly says that cases against the wife and the son, who are facing a trial in a mining scam, would be cleared.
Speaking to reporters, Congress general secretary B.K. Hari Prasad said, “the Congress believes in truth.”
“We should appreciate the stand of Shivaram Hebbar who calls a spade a spade. He comes out with the truth. He is not like the BJP people. When he [Hebbar] says that [it is a fake audio], we accept that with all humility. Nothing wrong in that.”
Karnataka: Kumaraswamy promises stable govt; Sonia, Rahul to attend swearing-in ceremony
In his meeting with the Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, Kumaraswamy discussed the issue of Cabinet formation and the division of ministerial positions between the two parties.
By:
Express Web Desk | New Delhi | Published: May 21, 2018 9:29:25 pm
H D Kumaraswamy with Congress president Rahul Gandhi in Delhi on Monday. (Source: Twitter/ANI)
Karnataka JD(S) chief H D Kumaraswamy, who is all set to take oath as the Karnataka chief minister, met alliance partners and Congress leaders
Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi on Monday evening. The meeting was aimed at finalising the modalities of government formation and ministerial berth sharing between the post-poll allies, JD(S) and Congress. Kumaraswamy, who will be sworn in as the chief minister of Karnataka on May 23, also met his pre-poll ally BSP chief
Mayawati, whose party bagged one seat in the state.
In his meeting with the Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul, Kumaraswamy discussed the issue of Cabinet formation and the division of ministerial positions between the two parties. Congress is known to have suggested the idea of two deputy chief minister’s for the numerically strong party in order to strike a balance with the JD(S). However, the latter is believed to be against this proposal. KPCC chief G Parameshwara is among the potential candidates for the deputy chief minister’s post.
Following the 20-minute long meeting, which took place at Rahul Gandhi’s Tughlak Lane residence, Kumaraswamy said that he has invited Sonia and Rahul Gandhi for the swearing-in ceremony in Bengaluru. “I wanted to show my respect and regards to Gandhi family. That’s why I came here. I requested them further presence in oath taking ceremony. Both of them agreed to be present at the oath-taking ceremony,” ANI quoted him saying. AICC in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal was also present at the meeting.
Ahead of the meeting, Kumaraswamy spoke to media. “There is no bargain. We will cordially work out things. We must work together. I am here to take their(Congress leaders) advice,” he said. He further assured that the JD(S)-Congress alliance will give a stable government in the state. “We are going to give a stable government. All these issues are not yet discussed. We have not discussed any future course of action,” said the JD(S) leader.
Kumaraswamy is expected to face the floor test in the state Assembly, within 24 hours of being sworn in. The MLAs of both the alliance partners, JD(S) and Congress, meanwhile, will stay confined to their hotels till the floor test, PTI reported.
Kumaraswamy also met senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. (Source: Twitter/ANI)
Karnataka assembly polls, held on May 12, threw up a fractured verdict, with the BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the Karnataka polls winning 104 seats. However, the saffron party fell short of a simple majority. Kumaraswamy staked claim to the government immediately after BJP’s B S Yeddyurappa announced his resignation. He met Governor Vajubhai Vala on Saturday evening who invited the coalition to form the government in the state.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara, expressing his apprehensions about the difficulties that lie ahead of the coalition government in the state, said, “I do understand the sentiments of many people that we should not have gone with the JD(S). But there was a need to stop the BJP from coming to power again in Karnataka. Keeping this in mind, our seniors took a decision to support the JD(S). We all must accept their decision,” he said.
“We may see difficult times ahead. We are visualising the challenges ahead, but we need to bear all the hardship to build a strong party,” the KPCC chief said.
JD (S) CM candidate HD Kumaraswamy with BSP Supremo Mayawati at her residence in New Delhi. (Express Photo by Tashi Tobgyal)
Meanwhile,
BJP chief Amit Shah, justifying the party’s bid to form the government in Karnataka, said it would have been against the mandate of the southern state if they had not done it. “The mandate given by people of Karnataka was against Congress. There was no confusion about it. If we had not staked claim to form govt, it would have been against the mandate of Karnataka’s people,” Shah said while addressing a press conference in party office in New Delhi.
Shah also asked the Congress to explain to the people of Karnataka why they were celebrating even when most of their ministers had lost the election. “Only Congress and JD(S) are celebrating, people of Karnataka are not (celebrating),” he told reporters.
Taking a swipe at the rival party, Shah said the Congress has found a new way of portraying defeat as its victory, adding that he hopes this new definition of victory continues till 2019 as it will benefit the BJP.
