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Karnataka: 15 of 16 SDPI candidates lose deposit, they had previously declared to not field 100 candidates to help Congress: Sedition, murder accused and more

Jhankar Mohta
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Karnataka: 15 of 16 SDPI candidates lose deposit, they had previously declared to not field 100 candidates to help Congress: Sedition, murder accused and more

The outcome of the Karnataka assembly elections is nearly certain. As the counting of votes entered its final leg, the Congress party appears to be securing a comfortable majority by bagging 136 seats, while the BJP is obtaining 65 seats and the JD(S) is securing 19 seats. In terms of vote share, the Congress has received 42.94%, while the BJP has obtained 35.95% of the votes. The vote share of the JDS stands at 13.32%.

While the state witnessed a tough three-cornered contest between the incumbent BJP, Congress and JD(S), there were a few others like the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), the political wing of the outlawed Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM which had set their eyes to make inroads into the state.

Promising a stiff challenge in the May 10 assembly polls, SDPI first declared that it would run candidates for 100 seats. It made tall claims that SDPI had started focussing on election work right from the ground level this time and would go alone in Karnataka assembly polls. It even released a list of the first 54 constituencies from which it intended to select its candidates, but their enthusiasm waned even before the state’s fight for the throne got underway.

At the beginning of this month, while all other parties were putting their best foot forward by running extensive campaigns to win over voters, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) declared that it would contest only 16 Assembly seats in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly Election 2023 in order to ‘help’ Congress in defeating the BJP. Five of these seats, Puttur, Mangaluru, Bantwal, Belthangady and Moodbidri, fall in the district of Dakshina Kannada, while the sixth seat is Kaup in Udupi district.

The decision taken by the SDPI had reportedly come a day after Congress released its manifesto for the elections and stated that it would impose a ban on Hindu organisations like Bajrang Dal.

SDPI national general secretary Elyas Thumbe confirmed the development and said, “The initial plan was to contest 100 seats, we dropped the plan as the ground situation looks fertile for Congress to win and for BJP to lose the Karnataka Election 2023. We told our SDPI workers to go door to door and campaign for Congress and JD(S).”

Now, out of the 16 SDPI candidates who contested the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, 15 had to forfeit their deposits as they failed to secure one-sixth of the votes polled. What is even more humiliating for the SDPI is that out of these 15 who lost their deposit, two candidates namely Angadi Chandru from Moodigere constituency and Sayyed Isahaq from Raichur could manage to secure only 441 and 632 votes respectively.

Puttur candidate Shafi Bellare charged with killing BJYM leader Praveen Nettaru

SDPI President Abdul Majeed proved to be the party’s lone ray of hope as he went on to become the only candidate who did not lose his deposit in the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 by securing 41037 votes.

Amongst those who lost deposits was Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) candidate Shafi Bellare from Puttur lost his deposit in Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023. Bellare is one of the accused of murdering Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Praveen Nettaru. SDPI is the political wing of the banned Islamic terrorist organisation Popular Front of India (PFI).

Bellare was arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection to Nettaru’s murder case. As per the chargesheet filed by the investigation agency, Bellare did recce of Praveen Nettaru’s home and provided information about activities. When the possibility of Bellare contesting the elections was announced in February 2023 by SDPI, they claimed he was “falsely accused” in the case. 

As per ECI’s website, Bellare got less than 3,000 votes.

Mangaluru SDPI candidate faces sedition charges, accused of hatching a conspiracy to attack PM Narendra Modi in the Phulwari Sharif area of Bihar

Another SDPI leader Riyaz Farangipet, who contested from Mangaluru (Ullal) and also lost the deposit, faces alleged sedition charges. Riyaz, the national secretary of SDPI, was accused of hatching a conspiracy to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Phulwari Sharif area of Bihar on July 12, 2022. The investigations allegedly revealed Riyaz’s links with the accused persons. The NIA had filed an FIR against him. He is alleged to have taken part in the meetings with the accused persons in planning.

In 2022, NIA lodged an FIR against him on charges of sedition. The case is being investigated under IPC Sections 120, 120 (B), 121, 121 (A), 1s3(A) and 1s3(B) read with 34.

Last year, NIA raided his houses in connection with the Phulwari Sharif terror module case busted by the Bihar police on the evening of July 11 last year. It is notable that Bihar police had revealed that the module had plans to disrupt a rally of PM Modi in Bihar earlier that month. The NIA revealed that the searches conducted had led to the seizure of digital devices and various incriminating documents. 

Apart from this, there are many cases lodged against him in Belthangady, Mangaluru South, Konaje, Mangaluru North, and East police stations in Dakshina Kannada district. He is facing charges of creating enmity between groups and obstructing the duty of policemen.

As per ECI’s website, Riyaz Farangipet got a little over 15,000 votes.

SDPI members admit that the banned Jihadi outfit PFI made SDPI a backyard of its erstwhile cadres to continue operations in Karnataka

On 28 September 2022, the Central government banned the Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) and eight of its associates for five years under a stringent anti-terror law, accusing them of having links with global terror organisations, including ISIS. However, its political affiliate Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) was the only organisation of the radical Islamist outfit that was not banned by the Central government last year. Therefore, after being declared illegal in September of last year, the Popular Front of India (PFI) made SDPI a backyard of its erstwhile cadres to continue operations in Karnataka.

India Today probed that matter and came to the conclusion that with the Popular Front of India (PFI) banned and its top leaders jailed, the outfit’s political wing the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) is trying hard to re-group its cadres and strengthen the party in Karnataka. The banned outfit has reportedly made SDPI a backyard of its erstwhile cadres to continue operations in the state.

India Today caught SDPI leaders on camera admitting that SDPI has absorbed jihadis from the outlawed outfit PFI.

Kaneez Fatima, who protested against Hijab ban in school wins in Muslim majority constituency, Edu Minister, who upheld ban loses in Hindu majority area

Anurag
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Kaneez Fatima, who protested against Hijab ban in school wins in Muslim majority constituency, Edu Minister, who upheld ban loses in Hindu majority area

On May 13, the results of the Karnataka Assembly Elections 2023 were announced. Congress’s incumbent MLA Kaneez Fatima has won from the Gulbarga North seat. Kaneez won the seat with 80,973 votes against BJP’s Chandrakant B Patil who got 78,261 votes.

Fatima made headlines in 2022 for leading hijab protests in her constituency. As per the 2011 census, district Gulbargi’s population was 25,66,326 out of which 20,11,014 (78.36%) were Hindus and 5,13,125 (19.99%) were Muslims. However, the Gulbarga North assembly seat has over 50% Muslim population according to polster Chanakya.

Source: ECI

In the 2023 Assembly elections, Fatima got a total of 80,973 votes. BJP’s Lingayat leader Chandrakant B Patil (Chandu Patil) got 78,261 votes. The difference between the two was only 2,712 votes. This year, eight Muslim candidates contested the seat. They collectively got 18,525 votes out of which 17,048 votes went to JD(S) candidate Nasir Hussain Ustad. Notably, SDPI did not contest this seat. Fatima is the only Muslim woman candidate contesting in Assembly elections on Congress’s seat.

On the other hand, the sitting education minister of Karnataka BC Nagesh who upheld uniformity in school uniforms lost the election from the Tiptur constituency by 17,652 votes. Congress candidate K Shadakshari secured 71,999 votes while BC Nagesh could secure only 53,753 votes. Titpur is a Hindu-majority assembly seat with a Muslim population of only about 9.4%.

Source: ECI

2018 elections performance

In the 2018 Assembly elections, Fatima got a total of 64,311 (43.29%) votes out of 2,74,281 total electors. She defeated BJP’s Patil, who also contested the seat in the 2023 elections, by 5,940 votes. Patil had got 58,371 (39.29%) votes. Eleven other Muslim candidates contested the election against her from the Gulbarga North seat, including Mohammed Mohsin of SDPI, who got 797 (0.54%) votes. JD(S) ‘s Nasir Hussain got 14,422 (9.71%) votes. Excluding Congress and BJP candidates, all others lost their deposits on this seat.

On the other hand, BC Nagesh had secured 61,383 votes defeating K Shadakshari who had secured 35,820 votes. There was a difference of 25,563 votes between the two. Interestingly, in the 2023 elections, BC Nagesh’s vote share was reduced by 7,630 votes. However, Shadakshari vote share increased by 46,436 votes. Shadakshari won majorly because of the vote share of independent candidates to Congress. In 2018 elections, 35,519 votes went to independent candidates compared to 2023, only 1,110 votes went to independent candidates. JD(S) managed to increase its vote share by 8,987.

Congress lost the Gulbarga City Council

Days before the Karnataka polls were announced, in March 2023, Congress lost Gulbarga City Council to BJP. Congress was the single largest party in the civic polls in 2021. However, BJP won the Mayor’s post in the city council. In the 55-member Council, Congress got 27 seats, BJP 23 and JD(s) four. Congress needed 32 votes, including votes of MPs, MLAs and MLCs in Kalaburagi but lost to BJP despite having an alliance with the JD(S).

Congress President lost Gulbarga seat in 2019

Current Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge was MP from Gulbarga constituency from 2009 to 2019. However, he lost the Lok Sabha elections 2019 to BJP’s Umesh G Jadhav, who had resigned from Congress and joined BJP in March 2019, just before the Lok Sabha elections. He was later sent to Rajya Sabha in June 2020 from Karnataka, replacing Congress leader Rajeev Gowda. Kharge became Congress President in October 2022.

Mallikarjun losing a traditional Congress seat had a spiral effect on the stronghold of Congress in the constituency that reportedly resulted in losing Council at Gulbarg.

Karnataka Hijab row

Last year the Karnataka high court upheld a government order banning religious attire such as hijab or burqa in educational institutions and asked students to follow the dress code of educational institutions. Many Muslim students had taken to the streets to protest against the decision, with many wearing hijab and skull caps to classes while many even boycotting appearing for exams after being urged to adhere to the court ruling. 

The Karnataka Hijab Row in Karnataka gained momentum in the first week of January 2022 after eight Muslim girls were denied entry to classes in a Udupi college because they were wearing hijabs. The college authorities had informed that the hijab was not a part of the uniform dress code mandated for the students.

The Muslim girls, adamant about wearing hijab, then filed a petition in High Court seeking permission to attend classes with hijab. They stated that wearing the hijab was their ‘fundamental right’ granted under Articles 14 and 25 of the Indian Constitution and an ‘integral practice of Islam’.

The controversy spiralled as Hindu students in Karnataka styled with saffron scarves around their necks and protested against Muslim girls continuing to wear hijab to college. Tensions also prevailed at some educational institutions in Udupi, Shivamogga, Bagalkote, and other parts, as stones-pelting and violence were reported from various parts of the state.

As reported earlier, the students had begun to wear hijab to schools and colleges after they had met the Campus Front of India (CFI), the student branch of the Islamist organization Popular Front of India (PFI), in October 2021. The students confessed that they had spoken with the CFI.

AAP and Communist parties lose deposit in Karnataka elections, while AAP increases vote share, Communists slip further: Details

Anurag
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AAP and Communist parties lose deposit in Karnataka elections, while AAP increases vote share, Communists slip further: Details

On May 13, the results of the 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections were announced. Congress won the elections as the single largest party and will soon form government in the state. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won the Punjab Assembly elections as the single largest party in Punjab in 2022 but failed to save a deposit on all seats in Karnataka. Communist parties were on a similar track across the state.

As per the Election Commission of India’s data, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the first runner in the elections, while Janata Dal (Secular) (JD(S)) is the second runner-up. Independent candidates are in the fourth position with two seats. Kalyan Rajya Pragti Paksha and Sarvoday Karnatak Paksh won one seat each. AAP and the Communist Party failed to win a single seat in the elections.

AAP got only a 0.58 per cent vote share in the state. They got a total of 2,25,419 votes combined in all constituencies. AAP contested 209 seats in the state compared to 28 in the 2018 Assembly Elections. They hoped to give tough competition on 15 seats but failed. As per ECI data, in 2018, AAP got 23,468 votes in total on 28 seats. Their vote share was 0.06 per cent. They had lost the deposit on all 28 seats.

AAP vote share in 2023 Karnataka Assembly Elections. Source: ECI

Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) and Communist Party of India (Marxist-Lenin) (CPI-ML) got 0.8 per cent vote share. CPI got 0.02 per cent vote share while CPI-ML got 0.06 per cent vote share.

By the time this report was published, as per ECI data, Congress was leading on 10 seats and won 126 seats. BJP was leading on 5 seats and won 60 seats. JD(S) won 19 seats.

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri reaches Patna amidst shadow of a terror alert ahead of Bageshwar Dham’s program in Bihar

OpIndia Staff
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Dhirendra Krishna Shastri reaches Patna amidst shadow of a terror alert ahead of Bageshwar Dham’s program in Bihar

Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, the incumbent peethadhishwar of Bageshwar Dham received a grand welcome when he reached Patna, Bihar on Saturday, May 13. Dhirendra Shastri was welcomed at the airport by Union Minister Giriraj Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party’s Pataliputra MP Ram Kripal Yadav among others.

Pleased by the heartwarming reception, he inquired about everyone’s well-being in Bhojpuri. BJP Member of Parliament from North East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari personally drove him to the hotel after his arrival.

The Bageshwar Dham Maharaj is scheduled to recite the Hanumant Charitra for five days, from May 13 to May 17 at Taret Pali Math in Naubatpur. Thousands of devotees are expected to attend the event. Bihar Police has also issued a high alert regarding the event and strict security measures have been put in place.

He had earlier urged the people of the state to take part in the religious gathering in large numbers.

In the five-day program, Katha (religious narration) will be held every evening from 4 pm to 7 pm. He will also hold a court on May 15 where the pleas of devotees will be addressed and no token or number will be required for it.

Notably, the event in Bihar was surrounded by a lot of politics. It was opposed by leaders and members of the ruling Janata Dal (United) and Rashtriya Janata Dal coalition. However, the Bihar government approved the program in spite of strong objections from its own ministers and leadership.

Tej Pratap Yadav, the minister for the environment, forests, and climate change, called Dhirendra Shastri a coward and a traitor. He claimed that the former’s followers visit him daily to offer their apologies. He had pledged to go to the airport to stop the religious leader and promised not to allow him to organise his event in the northern state.

Organisers asked for permission to host the event in Gandhi Maidan, but the authorities refused to allow it in view of the anticipated large crowd and security precautions. Following that, they requested approval for the same at Taret Pali Math which was granted by the Patna district administration.

The district authority has also issued a warning about attempts of a terrorist attack during the course of the program. The local administration has strengthened the safety protocols and issued an alert for the duration of the program.

As the Congress-JDS alliance becomes redundant, here is a throwback to the time when HD Kumaraswamy described it as ‘swallowing poison’

Dibakar Dutta
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As the Congress-JDS alliance becomes redundant, here is a throwback to the time when HD Kumaraswamy described it as ‘swallowing poison’

On Saturday (May 13), the Congress party secured a landslide victory in the 2023 Karnataka elections, bagging 136 of the 224 seats in the State Assembly.

Although early trends suggested that the Janata Dal (Secular) might play the role of a ‘kingmaker’ yet again, their hopes were diminished as the day progressed. The party headed by HD Kumaraswamy has been reduced to a mere 20 seats. The BJP came second in the race, with just 64 seats.

2023 Karnataka election results, image via Election Commission of India

Having said that, the situation was starkly different 5 years ago. In the 2018 Karnataka elections, the saffron party secured the largest number of seats (104). However, it failed to cross the majority mark of 113. The Congress party acted swiftly and joined hands with the JD(S).

At that time, JD(S) had 37 seats to its name while the Congress had secured 80 seats. Out of political opportunism, the two ideologically distinct parties came together to defeat the mandate of the people of Karnataka.

The single-largest party i.e. the BJP had to sit on the Opposition Bench as HD Kumaraswamy was crowned the Chief Minister of the State. Although the Congress party thought of it as a strategy to keep the BJP out of power, its former CM Siddaramaiah did not accept the idea of conceding power to JD(S).

At each step, he and other Congress leaders kept adding to the woes of the coalition so much so that the then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy broke down while speaking about it during a public meeting in July 2018.

Although it had been less than two months since the coalition then, the JD(S) leader confessed, “All of you are satisfied that your brother has become the CM but I am not satisfied.” A tear-eyed HD Kumaraswamy narrated, “The pain that I feel…I am swallowing my own pain like a Vishakanta (swallowing poison).”

He also felt let down for not being given a clear mandate by the people. But the writing on the wall was crystal clear – The doom of the coalition was inevitable. And almost a year later in July 2019, the Congress-JD(S) alliance lost the trust vote in Karnataka Legislative Assembly.

HD Kumaraswamy does not need to swallow poison anymore

With the end of the ‘unholy alliance’, the BJP regained power in the State and continued for the remainder of its term. HD Kumaraswamy also claimed to have lost the goodwill and support of the people by joining hands with the Congress.

In the 2023 Karnataka elections, Congress managed to secure an ‘absolute majority’ on its own and thereby eliminated any prospect of an alliance with the JD(S).

HD Kumaraswamy, who has already conceded that JD(S) is now too small a party to impact the outcome of Karnataka elections, does not need to ‘swallow poison’ anymore by allying with Congress this time.

Listen to what PM Modi had said when asked who is blamed when BJP loses and what the party does in the wake of a defeat

OpIndia Staff
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Listen to what PM Modi had said when asked who is blamed when BJP loses and what the party does in the wake of a defeat

On Saturday, May 13, the counting of votes for the Karnataka Assembly polls took place in which the Congress party emerged victorious. The incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended up a distant second getting less than half the seats of Congress.

Following the defeat of the party in the election, several BJP supporters online have blamed various factors for the defeat. Everything, from lack of strong local leadership to anti-incumbency to religious polarisation to caste factor has been highlighted as the reason for the defeat.

Amidst all this, an old interview of PM Narendra Modi from February 2022 is being shared on social media. In his interview with ANI’s Smita Prakash, PM Modi talked about what the party does in the wake of a defeat in an election.

When asked since he gets the credit from the supporters when BJP wins, then does he take defeats personally as well, and what kind of introspection is done by the party leaders after defeats, PM Modi replied that defeats in elections aren’t something new for the party. He mentioned that BJP has seen several defeats and has started winning only after losing several such elections. The Prime Minister also mentioned that since the time of Jan Sangh, the party has lost several elections and even used to lose deposits on most of the seats.

PM Modi further said that when they win an election, their attempt is to connect even more with the ground-level realities. After winning an election, the PM said, their party’s attempt is to win the hearts of the people by providing solutions to their problems. He mentioned that the party makes a conscious effort to address the concerns of the people on the ground instead of letting the victory get to its head.

Further, talking about defeats in elections, PM Modi said that when they face electoral reverses, even then they try to find hope and positivity in defeats instead of sinking into negativity. The Prime Minister said that instead of trying to lay the blame here or there, BJP analyses the campaign and promises of the opposition along with reevaluating its own campaign.

After analysing all that, the party develops its strategy for the future, PM Modi added. He further said that whether it is a win or loss, elections always provide some education to them and they take it as a learning experience.

The complete interview can be seen here

RJD Chief Lalu Yadav steps out of his Patna home for the first time, wears skull cap, a green chadar and prays at Mazar: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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RJD Chief Lalu Yadav steps out of his Patna home for the first time, wears skull cap, a green chadar and prays at Mazar: Watch

On Friday, May 12, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav visited a Mazar near Patna High Court. He also offered a chadar at the Shaheed Syed Pir Murad Shah Rahamtullah Alaih Mazar. Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav, who was asked about the Karnataka election results, asserted that Bajrang Bali is upset with the BJP.

This was the first time Yadav had stepped out of Rabri Devi’s 10 circular road residence and visited a public place since his return to Patna. He has been battling kidney and lung ailments for a few years.

Reportedly, during his Ziyarat Lalu Yadav prayed for communal harmony in Bihar and the country. As seen in the pictures, Lalu Yadav wore an Islamic skull cap and a green cloth on his shoulder. 

It is worth noting that Lalu Yadav remained in Delhi for a long time after a successful kidney transplant in Singapore. He stayed at his daughter and Rajya Sabha MP Misa Bharti’s residence. He arrived in Patna from Delhi on the 28th of April. On May 12, Lalu Yadav visited the Mazar in Patna.

Meanwhile, Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav while to the media said that Lord Hanuman (Bajrang Bali) is upset with the BJP. “Bajrang Bali bahut naaraaz hain BJP se,” Tejashwi said. 

Reacting to the Karnataka election results, RJD leader and cabinet minister Tej Pratap Yadav tweeted, “This had to happen…Bajrangbali burnt Ravana’s Lanka…Congratulations to the people of Karnataka for cleaning the filth of BJP, RSS…Hindu Muslim Sikh Christian are brothers among themselves.”

Love jihad is an agenda of undeclared terrorism against humanity: UP CM Yogi Adityanath after watching ‘The Kerala Story’

OpIndia Staff
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Love jihad is an agenda of undeclared terrorism against humanity: UP CM Yogi Adityanath after watching ‘The Kerala Story’

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that love jihad is an agenda of undeclared terrorism against humanity. The UP CM said this after watching The Kerala Story along with his ministerial colleagues at a special screening at the Lok Bhavan in Lucknow on Friday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party leader said, “The Kerala Story draws the attention of the entire nation to the conspiracy like love jihad. The entire society must be made aware of this distortion. A commendable and brave effort has been made in this regard by the film’s producer, director, and entire team.”

He further said that the UP administration has a zero-tolerance attitude for any distortion that undermines social cohesion, imperils national security, or endangers humanity. “That’s why our government has effectively implemented the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act on November 27, 2020, by first making an ordinance and then a duly enacted law against perversion like love jihad,” Yogi Adityanath asserted.

He also held a meeting with people associated with the movie including lead actor Adah Sharma, director Sudipto Sen, and producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah in Lucknow, on May 10.

On May 9, the chief minister announced The Kerala Story to be tax-free in the state, following the two other BJP-administrated states of Madhya Pradesh and Haryana.

According to official statistics, 433 cases have been reported in the state of Uttar Pradesh since the anti-conversion law came into effect in November 2020.

“Action has been taken against 1,471 accused, including a total of 1,229 accused named in these cases, and a total of 242 accused who came to light during the investigation in which 855 arrests have been made. According to the latest situation, 339 chargesheets have been sent to the court, and 184 victims have even confessed before the court that they were forcibly converted. Of these, 66 charges are related to minors,” revealed a government spokesperson.

In accordance with the legislation, violators incurred a one to five-year prison sentence as well as a Rs 15,000 fine. Additionally, under the statute, anybody found guilty of mass conversion is faced with a ten-year jail term.

The Kerala Story was released on May 5 amidst objections from Muslims, liberals, and the opposition parties. It managed to gross more than 80 crores at the Indian box office in the first seven days of its release and has already minted 100 crores worldwide.

The multilingual project is now running in 37 countries around the globe including the US and Canada. It is directed by Sudipto Sen, produced by Vipul Amrutlal Shah, and features Adah Sharma in the lead role.

It follows the story of a Hindu girl, Shalini Unnikrishnan from Kerala who is brainwashed to accept Islam by her Muslim friend, gets married to a Muslim man, and goes to Syria along with her spouse to join ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) also known as IS (Islamic State) and is tortured there.

Karnataka election result: Dozen cabinet ministers including CM Bommai win, 11 ministers face defeat as BJP loses the only southern state it ruled

ANI
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Karnataka election result: Dozen cabinet ministers including CM Bommai win, 11 ministers face defeat as BJP loses the only southern state it ruled

A dozen cabinet ministers including chief minister Basavaraj Bommai in Karnataka won while eleven ministers tasted defeat in Karnataka, as the trends showed Bharatiya Janata Party set to lose the only southern state it ruled. 

Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai has won from the Sihggaon constituency with a margin of over 35000 votes and 54.95 per cent vote share. Among the ministers who won their respective seats include– Araga Jnanendra from Teerthahalli, CC Patil from Gadag, Prabhu Chauhan from Owrad, ST Someshekheer from Yashwanthpur, Byrati Basavaraj from KR Puram, Gopalaiah from Mahalakshmi layout, Shashikala Jolle from Nippani, Sunil Kumar from Karkala, Munirathna from Rajrajeshwari Nagar and Shivaram Hebbar from Yellapur. 

Meanwhile, Housing Infrastructure Development Minister V Sommanna suffered defeat from both Varuna and Chamarajanagar seats. 

Among the ministers who were defeated include- BS Sriramulu from Bellary, Madhuswamy from Chikkanayakanahally, Govinda Karajol from Mudhol, Health and Welfare Minister K Sudhakar from Chickaballapur, MTB Nagaraj from Hoskote, BC Patil from Hirekerur, Murugesh Nirani from Beelagi, KC Narayangowda from KR Pete, BC Nagesh from Tipur and Shankar Patil from Navalgund. 

Meanwhile, as per the trends of the Election Commission of India, the Congress party has consolidated its lead and is leading on 136 seats, with victory on 82 and leading on 50 others. 

On the other hand, BJP is lagging behind with 64 seats. JD(S) is ahead on 20 seats. Independents have won two, while Kalyana Rajya Pragathi Paksha and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha have won one each. 

The counting of votes began at 8 am amid tight security across the State. 

The exit polls predicted a hung assembly with some showing Congress returning to power with a majority. A few exit polls also showed BJP ahead. 

The fiercely contested election that saw high-pitch campaigns from the political parties. 

The polling for the seats were held on May 10 with a voting percentage of 72. 68 per cent in voting for 224 seats. A party needs 113 seats to get majority. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Congress is set to win Karnataka comfortably, but it has its next battle on its hands: Who will be CM, Siddaramaiah vs DK Shivakumar

OpIndia Staff
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Congress is set to win Karnataka comfortably, but it has its next battle on its hands: Who will be CM, Siddaramaiah vs DK Shivakumar

The counting of the votes for the Karnataka Assembly polls has shown that the Congress party is set to win a comfortable majority. The voting took place on Wednesday, May 10, with the counting taking place on May 13. The major battle for Congress, however, lies ahead and it is about the choice of the chief minister. Former chief minister Siddharamaiah and the Karnataka State Congress president DK Shivakumar are two prominent aspirants in the party for the coveted post.

Siddaramaiah, a veteran Congress leader, recently stated that if the Congress party were to come into power, it would mark his final election. He expressed his intention to retire from politics after representing his native constituency of Varuna, where he is leading against his rival BJP candidate V Somanna. Siddaramaiah said, “I am retiring from politics. I desire to represent my native constituency and place and retire.”

Siddaramaiah held the position of Chief Minister of Karnataka for a period of five years, spanning from 2013 to 2018. Prior to that, during the previous BJP government, he served as the leader of the Opposition. Ahead of the counting of votes, Yathindra Siddaramaiah, the son of Siddaramaiah, expressed strong confidence that his father would secure an “absolute majority” and assume the position of Chief Minister, which according to him is in the best interest of the state.

DK Shivakumar, an eight-time MLA representing the Kanakapura constituency, is also a formidable contender for the position of Chief Minister in Karnataka. Notably, he is recognized as one of the wealthiest politicians in the region, possessing a strong support base. As his party appeared to be on the verge of forming the next government in the state, Shivakumar, a loyalist of the party, became overwhelmed with emotions and broke down on Saturday afternoon. Expressing gratitude, Shivakumar extended his thanks to the party cadre and workers for their contributions towards the election results.

While this whole appearance was coherent with him being the state president of the party, he also took the opportunity to show his loyalty towards the Gandhi family – an important criterion to achieve anything in Congress. Overwhelmed with emotion, Shivakumar expressed his deep gratitude towards Sonia Gandhi for her visit to him in jail during his imprisonment. He said, “I can’t forget Sonia Gandhi visiting me in jail…when BJP people put me in jail.”

Shivakumar had made a significant contribution to the Congress win, and with the party having achieved remarkable success in the Old Mysuru Region, it would be difficult to overlook his candidacy for the post. Notably, DK Shivakumar was in ED custody in 2019 for over 50 days in connection with an alleged money laundering case.

Siddaramaiah, belonging to the disadvantaged Kuruba community, along with a Dalit serving as the party president, adds to the narrative of the Congress as a party that prioritizes the welfare of marginalized communities. This aspect might help the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha election as well. In the last Lok Sabha election, BJP secured 15 seats from the state. Congress would definitely like to try Siddharamaiah once again and see if it helps in Lok Sabha polls. Siddharamaiah also has a strong hold on many MLAs in the state.

However, DK Shivakumar is close to the party’s high command sitting in Delhi. He is a Gandhi family loyalist. This has also earned him support from various state leaders who strive to be in the good books of the Gandhis. At the time of conflicts in the Maharashtra and Rajasthan units of the party, it was DK Shivakumar who arranged resorts for the MLAs to stay. These capabilities and the humility he showcased on camera as he thanked the cadre, bring him to the frontline of the CM race.

The grand old party may also think of a CM and deputy-CM formula. However, the same policy applied with Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot in Rajasthan led to constant clashes in the state unit. Pilot was eventually removed from the post by Congress. Similarly, Jyotiraditya Scindhia was sidelined by the Congress party while giving the CM post to Kamal Nath in Madhya Pradesh.

While the victory in the southern state has boosted the confidence of the party, it would certainly not want any similar problem to arise in Karnataka that may end up helping BJP. The decision for the party leadership is thus a tough one, and a very important one.

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