<p>Senior Congress Party leader Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that the party high command would decide on its chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka.&nbsp</p>

<p>Kharge added that he was "hopeful" the party high command would choose Siddaramaiah as its candidate.&nbsp</p>

<p>Siddaramaiah is the current chief minister of Karnataka.&nbsp</p>

<p>The state goes to the polls on May 12, and all eyes are on it. The elections are being thought of as a harbinger of what might happen in the 2019 general elections.&nbsp</p>

<p>"Ahead of the elections in Karnataka, all preparations are being done under the supervision of Siddaramaiah itself. He is the current chief minister, and therefore, there is no question of another candidate being chosen. He is serving his duties well, and I am hopeful that he will be elected at the chief ministerial candidate by the high command, including party president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi," ANI quoted Kharge as saying.&nbsp</p>

<p>The speculation that Siddaramaiah might not be the automatic choice for chief minister was set off by Kharge himself.&nbsp</p>

<p>PTI had reported Kharge as saying the Congress high command would choose a new chief minister in consultation with the newly elected MLAs, if the party is voted back to power for a second term.</p>

<p>Kharge later appeared to backtrack, saying such rumours were being deliberately constructed to create a rift in the party.&nbsp</p>

<p>"I have heard from media outlets that some people highlighting certain reservations I have about Siddaramaiah being the chief ministerial candidate. However, such reports are not to be believed. There is a group of people trying to create a rift in the party, but this is not in good taste," ANI quoted him as saying.&nbsp</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>


Siddaramaiah is the current chief minister of Karnataka. The state goes to the polls on May 12, and all eyes are on it.

Senior Congress Party leader Mallikarjun Kharge said on Tuesday that the party high command would decide on its chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka. Kharge added that he was "hopeful" the party high command would choose Siddaramaiah as its candidate. Siddaramaiah is the current chief minister of Karnataka. The state goes to the polls on May 12, and all eyes are on it. The elections are being thought of as a harbinger of what might happen in the 2019 general elections. "Ahead of the elections in Karnataka, all preparations are being done under the supervision of Siddaramaiah itself. He is the current chief minister, and therefore, there is no question of another candidate being chosen. He is serving his duties well, and I am hopeful that he will be elected at the chief ministerial candidate by the high command, including party president Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi," ANI quoted Kharge as saying. The speculation that Siddaramaiah might not be the automatic choice for chief minister was set off by Kharge himself. PTI had reported Kharge as saying the Congress high command would choose a new chief minister in consultation with the newly elected MLAs, if the party is voted back to power for a second term. Kharge later appeared to backtrack, saying such rumours were being deliberately constructed to create a rift in the party. "I have heard from media outlets that some people highlighting certain reservations I have about Siddaramaiah being the chief ministerial candidate. However, such reports are not to be believed. There is a group of people trying to create a rift in the party, but this is not in good taste," ANI quoted him as saying. (With inputs from agencies)

Siddaramaiah for Karnataka CM? Cong's Kharge says high command will decide

<p>Congress president Rahul Gandhi will release the party’s manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls on April 27 in Mangalore, sources said on April 25.&nbsp</p>

<p>During his two-day seventh leg of campaigning in the southern state, which starts tomorrow, Gandhi would also visit parts of Uttara Kannada like Ankola city, Mastikatte Circle (Kumta), Saraswati Circle (Honnavar) and hold a corner meeting at Bhatkal, the party said in a statement on April 25.</p>

<p>“Rahulji will release the manifesto in Mangalore the day after tomorrow. It will be an all-encompassing document,” a Congress leader said, requesting anonymity. He refused to divulge more details but added that the manifesto would have “something” for all sections of the society.</p>

<p>In the run-up to the high-stakes Karnataka polls, Gandhi had asked the Congress leaders to prepare a “people’s manifesto”, after taking the feedback of all the stakeholders.</p>

<p>On Gandhi’s campaigning, the Congress leader said the party workers wanted him to focus on the areas he was yet to visit. So far, the Congress chief has held six rounds of campaigning in the southern state. The sixth phase of campaigning was on April 7-8.</p>

<p>The election to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will be held on May 12. The southern state is slated to witness a three-corner contest involving the ruling Congress, the BJP and the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S). The result of the polls will be announced on May 15.</p>


The election to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will be held on May 12. Karnataka is slated to witness a three-corner contest involving the ruling Congress, the BJP and the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S).

Congress president Rahul Gandhi will release the party’s manifesto for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly polls on April 27 in Mangalore, sources said on April 25. During his two-day seventh leg of campaigning in the southern state, which starts tomorrow, Gandhi would also visit parts of Uttara Kannada like Ankola city, Mastikatte Circle (Kumta), Saraswati Circle (Honnavar) and hold a corner meeting at Bhatkal, the party said in a statement on April 25. “Rahulji will release the manifesto in Mangalore the day after tomorrow. It will be an all-encompassing document,” a Congress leader said, requesting anonymity. He refused to divulge more details but added that the manifesto would have “something” for all sections of the society. In the run-up to the high-stakes Karnataka polls, Gandhi had asked the Congress leaders to prepare a “people’s manifesto”, after taking the feedback of all the stakeholders. On Gandhi’s campaigning, the Congress leader said the party workers wanted him to focus on the areas he was yet to visit. So far, the Congress chief has held six rounds of campaigning in the southern state. The sixth phase of campaigning was on April 7-8. The election to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will be held on May 12. The southern state is slated to witness a three-corner contest involving the ruling Congress, the BJP and the H D Deve Gowda-led JD(S). The result of the polls will be announced on May 15.

Karnataka Elections 2018: Rahul Gandhi to release Congress manifesto on April 27

<p>Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath "North Indian imports" in the May 12 election campaign and said it had no leaders in the state.</p>

<p>Siddaramaiah also said BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa had been reduced to a "dummy."</p>

<p>"@BJP4Karnataka by waiting for North Indian imports like PM Modi, UPCM Adityanath is admitting they have no leaders in the state. They have reduced their CM face @BSYBJP to a dummy," Siddaramaiah tweeted.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">. <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Karnataka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BJP4Karnataka</a> by waiting for North Indian imports like PM Modi, UPCM Adityanath is admiting they have no leaders in the state. They have reduced their CM face <a href="https://twitter.com/BSYBJP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BSYBJP</a> to a dummy.<br />
<br />
PM may come & go. Here it is Siddaramaiah vs BSY & you know who is winning.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongressMathomme?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongressMathomme</a> <a href="https://t.co/IatRRstyAe">https://t.co/IatRRstyAe</a></p>
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) <a href="https://twitter.com/siddaramaiah/status/988984915759960064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>He further said the Prime Minister may come and go, but here it is a battle between him and Yeddyurappa, and the" saffron party knows who is winning in the May 12 Assembly polls.</p>

<p>In a blistering attack over Siddaramaiah's "imports" comment, the BJP said his attempt to divide North and South India is "disgusting" and added it understands his anxiety of being" "rejected" by his constituents.</p>

<p>"Imports? How much low can you stoop Mr CM? Your attempt at North-South divide is disgusting. But we understand your anxiety. While you are rejected by your own constituents, PM Modi has a pan India appeal. It's time you learn a thing or "two about leadership when he's here," BJP tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Imports? How much lower can you stoop Mr. CM?<br />
<br />
Your attempt at North-South divide is disgusting. But we understand your anxiety.<br />
<br />
While you are rejected by your own constituents, PM Modi has a pan India appeal. It's time you learn a thing or two about leadership when he's here. <a href="https://t.co/YYo978DO74">https://t.co/YYo978DO74</a></p>
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Karnataka/status/988997433882378240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Indirectly hitting out at Sonia Gandhi, the BJP asked Siddaramaiah what he had to say about occupants of 10, Janpath, when he is calling Modi and Adityanath as North Indian imports.</p>

<p>"Well, speaking of imports, what do you have to say about the occupants of 10 JP? We can understand your frustration & desperation Mr CM. When you realize PM Modi is more popular than you are even in your own Chamundeshwari, these kind of outbursts are natural," the BJP tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Well, speaking of imports, what do you have to say about the occupants of 10 JP?<br />
<br />
We can understand your frustration & desperation Mr. CM.<br />
<br />
When you realize PM Modi is more popular than you are even in your own Chamundeshwari, these kind of outbursts are natural. <a href="https://t.co/YYo978DO74">https://t.co/YYo978DO74</a></p>
— BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) <a href="https://twitter.com/BJP4Karnataka/status/988998792438431744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Meanwhile, the incumbent Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said, that corruption is a contentious issue in this election and that the BJP is levelling "wild allegations" against him for political benefits. "He called me 'Siddaruppaiya', it's an irresponsible statement from PM", Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying by ANI.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
When he was asked if campaigning by a non-Kannadiga such as Rahul Gandhi would really affect the people of Karnataka, he said that Gandhi's campaigning has made a big impact, especially on the youth in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from Agencies)</em></p>


Siddaramaiah also said BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa had been reduced to a "dummy."

Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath "North Indian imports" in the May 12 election campaign and said it had no leaders in the state. Siddaramaiah also said BJP's chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa had been reduced to a "dummy." "@BJP4Karnataka by waiting for North Indian imports like PM Modi, UPCM Adityanath is admitting they have no leaders in the state. They have reduced their CM face @BSYBJP to a dummy," Siddaramaiah tweeted. . @BJP4Karnataka by waiting for North Indian imports like PM Modi, UPCM Adityanath is admiting they have no leaders in the state. They have reduced their CM face @BSYBJP to a dummy. PM may come & go. Here it is Siddaramaiah vs BSY & you know who is winning.#CongressMathomme https://t.co/IatRRstyAe — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) April 25, 2018 × He further said the Prime Minister may come and go, but here it is a battle between him and Yeddyurappa, and the" saffron party knows who is winning in the May 12 Assembly polls. In a blistering attack over Siddaramaiah's "imports" comment, the BJP said his attempt to divide North and South India is "disgusting" and added it understands his anxiety of being" "rejected" by his constituents. "Imports? How much low can you stoop Mr CM? Your attempt at North-South divide is disgusting. But we understand your anxiety. While you are rejected by your own constituents, PM Modi has a pan India appeal. It's time you learn a thing or "two about leadership when he's here," BJP tweeted. Imports? How much lower can you stoop Mr. CM? Your attempt at North-South divide is disgusting. But we understand your anxiety. While you are rejected by your own constituents, PM Modi has a pan India appeal. It's time you learn a thing or two about leadership when he's here. https://t.co/YYo978DO74 — BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 25, 2018 × Indirectly hitting out at Sonia Gandhi, the BJP asked Siddaramaiah what he had to say about occupants of 10, Janpath, when he is calling Modi and Adityanath as North Indian imports. "Well, speaking of imports, what do you have to say about the occupants of 10 JP? We can understand your frustration & desperation Mr CM. When you realize PM Modi is more popular than you are even in your own Chamundeshwari, these kind of outbursts are natural," the BJP tweeted. Well, speaking of imports, what do you have to say about the occupants of 10 JP? We can understand your frustration & desperation Mr. CM. When you realize PM Modi is more popular than you are even in your own Chamundeshwari, these kind of outbursts are natural. https://t.co/YYo978DO74 — BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 25, 2018 × Meanwhile, the incumbent Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah said, that corruption is a contentious issue in this election and that the BJP is levelling "wild allegations" against him for political benefits. "He called me 'Siddaruppaiya', it's an irresponsible statement from PM", Siddaramaiah was quoted as saying by ANI. When he was asked if campaigning by a non-Kannadiga such as Rahul Gandhi would really affect the people of Karnataka, he said that Gandhi's campaigning has made a big impact, especially on the youth in the state. (With inputs from Agencies)

Karnataka Assembly Election: Modi and Yogi are north Indian imports, says Siddaramaiah

<p>Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anantkumar Hegde has claimed that he received threat a&nbsp;call&nbsp;in the wee hours of Sunday.</p>

<p>The union minister has also lodged a complaint at a police station in Karnataka.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Karnataka Police have registered a complaint under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 504 and 507.</p>

<p>The complaint has come a week after he<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/union-minister-hegde-claims-attempt-on-life-after-truck-hits-his-escort-vehicle-131090">&nbsp;claimed&nbsp;that a “deliberate attempt” was made on his life</a> when a truck hit his escort vehicle.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said then that a truck hit his escort vehicle when he was travelling in Karnataka's Haveri district at around 11:30 pm.</p>

<p>The minister also posted a video and pictures on his Twitter account, saying that a truck tried to ram into his escort vehicle when he was travelling on the national highway near Halageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district in poll-bound Karnataka. “Since our vehicle was on top speed we escaped the hit,” the minister said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Karnataka?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Karnataka</a>: Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde allegedly received a threat call in the wee hours of Sunday. His personal assistant has lodged a complaint at Sirsi New Market Police station. Police registered a complaint under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 504 & 507. <a href="https://t.co/8Dh5LQsQig">pic.twitter.com/8Dh5LQsQig</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/988253223596281856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>


The union minister has also lodged a complaint at a police station in Karnataka

Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Anantkumar Hegde has claimed that he received threat a call in the wee hours of Sunday. The union minister has also lodged a complaint at a police station in Karnataka. The Karnataka Police have registered a complaint under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 504 and 507. The complaint has come a week after he claimed that a “deliberate attempt” was made on his life when a truck hit his escort vehicle. He said then that a truck hit his escort vehicle when he was travelling in Karnataka's Haveri district at around 11:30 pm. The minister also posted a video and pictures on his Twitter account, saying that a truck tried to ram into his escort vehicle when he was travelling on the national highway near Halageri in Ranebennur taluk of Haveri district in poll-bound Karnataka. “Since our vehicle was on top speed we escaped the hit,” the minister said. #Karnataka: Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde allegedly received a threat call in the wee hours of Sunday. His personal assistant has lodged a complaint at Sirsi New Market Police station. Police registered a complaint under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 504 & 507. pic.twitter.com/8Dh5LQsQig — ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2018 ×

Now, Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde says he received threat calls

<p>Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily has dismissed talk of infighting within the party over the selection of candidates in Karnataka saying the state leadership is "totally united" in the battle against the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls.</p>

<p>Moily, a former Union minister and an MP from the state, also hailed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and said he had brought political, social and economic stability to the state.</p>

<p>In an interview to PTI here, the former Karnataka chief minister brushed aside protests across parts of Karnataka by supporters of ticket seekers who had failed to make it to the list.</p>

<p>"They (ticket-seekers) have strong aspirations that is why for the time being they will do it (protest), but ultimately they will realise...," Moily, 78, said.</p>

<p>The demonstrations indicated that the Congress was going to retain power in the state, Moily asserted.</p>

<p>"This (the protest) is more because people know very well that Congress is going to come back to power," he said.</p>

<p>Asked if infighting could hamper Congress's chances in the Assembly polls, he said Siddaramaiah was the only Karnataka chief minister in recent times to have provided a stable government for five years.</p>

<p>"There was no internal fight during these five years and there will not be an internal fight in the future also," he said.</p>

<p>The two-time MP from Chikballapur also asserted that the party's state leadership was "totally united".</p>

<p>Media reports had earlier suggested party veterans from the state such as Moily, Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC chief G Parameshwara were in favour of giving tickets to long-time party workers instead of those who had switched sides.</p>

<p>However, the chief minister seems to have had his way in the selection of candidates, with many party hoppers being given tickets.</p>

<p>The ruling Congress in Karnataka has announced a list of 218 candidates and is in the process of finalising the names for the remaining six constituencies.</p>

<p>In an angry backlash after the Congress announced its candidates, sections of workers staged protests at several places.</p>

<p>Moily dismissed the protests as "very selective cases".</p>

<p>"In every constituency, there are three or four very good aspirants, excellent workers, excellent leaders. This is a good trend for the Congress party. We don't consider it to be a liability," he said.</p>

<p>Moily had stated last month that his son Harsha Moily would not contest the Assembly elections for the "sake of the unity" of the ruling party.</p>

<p>His announcement had come after he was embroiled in a controversy when he tweeted about "money in politics" in the selection of candidates for the Assembly polls in Karnataka, landing the party in a spot. He later deleted the tweet.</p>

<p>"We have disowned the tweet," he had said.</p>

<p>Moily, who heads a 15-member panel formed to draft the party's manifesto for the Karnataka polls, said he has presented the draft to the chief minister, the KPCC president and also K C Venugopal, general secretary in-charge of Karnataka.</p>

<p>He said after the draft goes through the process of final approvals, it would be released soon.</p>

<p>The senior leader also stressed the Congress would get a comfortable majority in the polls and its victory would signal the fall of the Narendra Modi government in 2019.</p>

<p>Moily said there was no anti-incumbency factor in Karnataka as the Siddaramaiah government had fulfilled all its promises, but the sentiment would run against Modi at the Centre.</p>

<p>"Finance has been collapsing because of the half-baked GST law, demonetisation and also the handling of banks. All these factors will go against them not only in the 2019 election but wherever elections are going to be held in the states," said Moily, who is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance.</p>

<p>Asked if there was a need for a grand alliance to take the BJP on in the 2019 general election, Moily said in order to beat "communal elements such as the BJP" there was a need for nationalist and secular forces to come together.&nbsp</p>

<p>He, however, added that there was no substitute for the Congress party as the leader of a grand alliance.&nbsp</p>

<p>Praising Rahul Gandhi, Moily said the Congress president had now "definitely proved that he is more than a match for Narendra Modi".</p>

<p>"This is a fact which I think the rest of the political parties will also realise," he said.</p>

<p>Elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly are to be held on May 12.&nbsp</p>


The former Karnataka chief minister brushed aside protests across parts of Karnataka by supporters of ticket seekers who had failed to make it to the list.

Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily has dismissed talk of infighting within the party over the selection of candidates in Karnataka saying the state leadership is "totally united" in the battle against the BJP in the upcoming Assembly polls. Moily, a former Union minister and an MP from the state, also hailed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and said he had brought political, social and economic stability to the state. In an interview to PTI here, the former Karnataka chief minister brushed aside protests across parts of Karnataka by supporters of ticket seekers who had failed to make it to the list. "They (ticket-seekers) have strong aspirations that is why for the time being they will do it (protest), but ultimately they will realise...," Moily, 78, said. The demonstrations indicated that the Congress was going to retain power in the state, Moily asserted. "This (the protest) is more because people know very well that Congress is going to come back to power," he said. Asked if infighting could hamper Congress's chances in the Assembly polls, he said Siddaramaiah was the only Karnataka chief minister in recent times to have provided a stable government for five years. "There was no internal fight during these five years and there will not be an internal fight in the future also," he said. The two-time MP from Chikballapur also asserted that the party's state leadership was "totally united". Media reports had earlier suggested party veterans from the state such as Moily, Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC chief G Parameshwara were in favour of giving tickets to long-time party workers instead of those who had switched sides. However, the chief minister seems to have had his way in the selection of candidates, with many party hoppers being given tickets. The ruling Congress in Karnataka has announced a list of 218 candidates and is in the process of finalising the names for the remaining six constituencies. In an angry backlash after the Congress announced its candidates, sections of workers staged protests at several places. Moily dismissed the protests as "very selective cases". "In every constituency, there are three or four very good aspirants, excellent workers, excellent leaders. This is a good trend for the Congress party. We don't consider it to be a liability," he said. Moily had stated last month that his son Harsha Moily would not contest the Assembly elections for the "sake of the unity" of the ruling party. His announcement had come after he was embroiled in a controversy when he tweeted about "money in politics" in the selection of candidates for the Assembly polls in Karnataka, landing the party in a spot. He later deleted the tweet. "We have disowned the tweet," he had said. Moily, who heads a 15-member panel formed to draft the party's manifesto for the Karnataka polls, said he has presented the draft to the chief minister, the KPCC president and also K C Venugopal, general secretary in-charge of Karnataka. He said after the draft goes through the process of final approvals, it would be released soon. The senior leader also stressed the Congress would get a comfortable majority in the polls and its victory would signal the fall of the Narendra Modi government in 2019. Moily said there was no anti-incumbency factor in Karnataka as the Siddaramaiah government had fulfilled all its promises, but the sentiment would run against Modi at the Centre. "Finance has been collapsing because of the half-baked GST law, demonetisation and also the handling of banks. All these factors will go against them not only in the 2019 election but wherever elections are going to be held in the states," said Moily, who is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance. Asked if there was a need for a grand alliance to take the BJP on in the 2019 general election, Moily said in order to beat "communal elements such as the BJP" there was a need for nationalist and secular forces to come together. He, however, added that there was no substitute for the Congress party as the leader of a grand alliance. Praising Rahul Gandhi, Moily said the Congress president had now "definitely proved that he is more than a match for Narendra Modi". "This is a fact which I think the rest of the political parties will also realise," he said. Elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly are to be held on May 12.

No infighting; protests indicate Congress victory in Karnataka: Veerappa Moily

<p>The International Monetary Fund has said it wants continued momentum in India's growth and structural reforms despite the election period.</p>

<p>A number of elections are scheduled to be held in India within the next one year with assembly polls in Karnataka, Mizoram, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as well as the 2019 Lok Sabha election.</p>

<p>"We are not saying that India's structural reform speed will slow down because of elections. What we are saying is that the growth momentum and the structural reform momentum should continue despite the election period," said Changyong Rhee, Director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the IMF.</p>

<p>India is projected to grow at 7.4 per cent in the fiscal year 2018-2019 as the economy recovers from temporary destruction due to currency exchange initiatives and the roll out of the new goods and services tax, Rhee said Thursday.</p>

<p>Ken Kang, Deputy Director, at the IMF Asia and Pacific Department said the implementation of the GST was "a major reform" of the Indian tax system.&nbsp</p>

<p>"In recent years, India has made impressive progress in reforms.. It (GST) will enhance the efficiency of intra-Indian movement of goods and services, help create a common national market as well as help boost jobs and growth," said Kang.</p>

<p>He said India's introduction of flexible inflation targeting and of a statutory monetary policy which has helped strengthen the monetary policy framework was another big achievement.&nbsp</p>

<p>"The government has recently announced a major recapitalisation plan for the public-sector banks in order to accelerate the work out of non-performing loans, as well as made some important legal improvements through a new insolvency and bankruptcy law," said Kang.</p>

<p>"The IMF hopes that the reform momentum would continue," Kang added.&nbsp</p>

<p>Looking ahead, said Kang, India needed to focus on labour market reforms with a focus on increasing formal female labour participation, to improve the business environment, and reduce complex regulations, but also to address supply bottlenecks, particularly in the agricultural sector and distribution networks.</p>

<p>Responding to a question, Kang said that the IMF expects India's role in the region to expand.</p>

<p>"India does have room to expand its export orientation and to reduce further trade and non-trade barriers. The statutory tariff rate in India is relatively high at about 15 per cent and higher than those in the rest of the region. So there is room to do more on trade reforms," he said.</p>


A number of elections are scheduled to be held in India within the next one year with assembly polls in Karnataka, Mizoram, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as well as the 2019 Lok Sabha election

The International Monetary Fund has said it wants continued momentum in India's growth and structural reforms despite the election period. A number of elections are scheduled to be held in India within the next one year with assembly polls in Karnataka, Mizoram, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan as well as the 2019 Lok Sabha election. "We are not saying that India's structural reform speed will slow down because of elections. What we are saying is that the growth momentum and the structural reform momentum should continue despite the election period," said Changyong Rhee, Director of the Asia and Pacific Department at the IMF. India is projected to grow at 7.4 per cent in the fiscal year 2018-2019 as the economy recovers from temporary destruction due to currency exchange initiatives and the roll out of the new goods and services tax, Rhee said Thursday. Ken Kang, Deputy Director, at the IMF Asia and Pacific Department said the implementation of the GST was "a major reform" of the Indian tax system. "In recent years, India has made impressive progress in reforms.. It (GST) will enhance the efficiency of intra-Indian movement of goods and services, help create a common national market as well as help boost jobs and growth," said Kang. He said India's introduction of flexible inflation targeting and of a statutory monetary policy which has helped strengthen the monetary policy framework was another big achievement. "The government has recently announced a major recapitalisation plan for the public-sector banks in order to accelerate the work out of non-performing loans, as well as made some important legal improvements through a new insolvency and bankruptcy law," said Kang. "The IMF hopes that the reform momentum would continue," Kang added. Looking ahead, said Kang, India needed to focus on labour market reforms with a focus on increasing formal female labour participation, to improve the business environment, and reduce complex regulations, but also to address supply bottlenecks, particularly in the agricultural sector and distribution networks. Responding to a question, Kang said that the IMF expects India's role in the region to expand. "India does have room to expand its export orientation and to reduce further trade and non-trade barriers. The statutory tariff rate in India is relatively high at about 15 per cent and higher than those in the rest of the region. So there is room to do more on trade reforms," he said.

India's growth momentum must continue despite elections: IMF

<p>Ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka, over 700 farmers from the state have decided to stage a protest in the national capital over the<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/mahadayi-river-dispute-karnataka-bandh-to-affect-daily-life-transport-services-will-remain-unaffected-30593"> Mahadayi Water Dispute</a>.</p>

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<p>The farmers will&nbsp;move from Karnataka's Hubballi to&nbsp;Delhi on April 25 and will hold a three-day protest in Delhi.</p>

<p>They will also seek euthanasia from the President.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The farmers have also decided to boycott the upcoming&nbsp;assembly polls in the state claiming that "every politician takes benefit of the issue but does nothing on it".</p>

<p>Mahadayi river which emerges in the Western Ghats from the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka's Belagavi district is a bone of contention between Karnataka and Goa.</p>

<p>Over two-thirds of the river's stretch flows in Goa before finally joining the Arabian sea in Panaji.</p>

<p>The dispute regarding the river emerged between the two states during the 80s and gradually grew over time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Goa is against Karnataka's construction of dams and canals to divert the river's water into the Karnataka's Malaprabha basin.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Over 700 farmers protesting over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MahadayiWaterDispute?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MahadayiWaterDispute</a> to leave for Delhi from Karnataka's Hubballi on 25 April. They'll hold 3-day protest & seek euthanasia from President, say, 'every politician takes benefit of the issue but does nothing on it. We've decided to boycott polls.' <a href="https://t.co/lJgVXJtA7I">pic.twitter.com/lJgVXJtA7I</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/987543096073359360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The farmers will move from Karnataka's Hubballi to Delhi on April 25 and will hold a three-day protest in Delhi. They will also seek euthanasia from the President

Ahead of the assembly elections in Karnataka, over 700 farmers from the state have decided to stage a protest in the national capital over the Mahadayi Water Dispute. × The farmers will move from Karnataka's Hubballi to Delhi on April 25 and will hold a three-day protest in Delhi. They will also seek euthanasia from the President. The farmers have also decided to boycott the upcoming assembly polls in the state claiming that "every politician takes benefit of the issue but does nothing on it". Mahadayi river which emerges in the Western Ghats from the Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka's Belagavi district is a bone of contention between Karnataka and Goa. Over two-thirds of the river's stretch flows in Goa before finally joining the Arabian sea in Panaji. The dispute regarding the river emerged between the two states during the 80s and gradually grew over time. Goa is against Karnataka's construction of dams and canals to divert the river's water into the Karnataka's Malaprabha basin. Over 700 farmers protesting over #MahadayiWaterDispute to leave for Delhi from Karnataka's Hubballi on 25 April. They'll hold 3-day protest & seek euthanasia from President, say, 'every politician takes benefit of the issue but does nothing on it. We've decided to boycott polls.' pic.twitter.com/lJgVXJtA7I — ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2018 ×

700 farmers to seek euthanasia from President over Mahadayi water dispute

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-releases-list-of-218-candidates-for-karnataka-polls-130629">Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah</a> has said that his party was not going to enter into an alliance with any party.&nbsp</p>

<p>Asserting that Congress was a secular party he said that they were not forming an alliance with Janata Dal(Secular).</p>

<p>Responding to question on if he will contest from Badami constituency, the chief minister said that he would abide by his party's decision.</p>

<p>He said, "Whatever the party leadership says I&nbspwill abide by it".</p>

<p>Siddaramaiah was keen on contesting the elections from two constituencies Chamundeshwari and&nbspBadami. The leader was, however, given the ticket for only Chamundeshwari constituency.</p>

<p>The chief minister also hit out at the BJP President claiming that Amit Shah was not a Hindu&nbsphimself.&nbsp</p>

<p>He said, " Amit Shah said I&nbspam not a Hindu, but Amit Shah himself is not a Hindu, he is a Jain. He might believe in Hindutva but let him come out and say he is Hindu and a Jain".</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">CM Siddaramaiah: We are not going to enter into an alliance with any party. We are a secular party.<br />
Reporter: But Janata Dal(S) is also secular<br />
CM Siddaramaiah: Who told you JDS is a secular party? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarnatakaElections2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarnatakaElections2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/AsDrc7JAvc">pic.twitter.com/AsDrc7JAvc</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/987206442531852289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Asserting that Congress was a secular party he said that they were not forming an alliance with Janata Dal(Secular)

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has said that his party was not going to enter into an alliance with any party. Asserting that Congress was a secular party he said that they were not forming an alliance with Janata Dal(Secular). Responding to question on if he will contest from Badami constituency, the chief minister said that he would abide by his party's decision. He said, "Whatever the party leadership says I&nbspwill abide by it". Siddaramaiah was keen on contesting the elections from two constituencies Chamundeshwari and&nbspBadami. The leader was, however, given the ticket for only Chamundeshwari constituency. The chief minister also hit out at the BJP President claiming that Amit Shah was not a Hindu&nbsphimself. He said, " Amit Shah said I&nbspam not a Hindu, but Amit Shah himself is not a Hindu, he is a Jain. He might believe in Hindutva but let him come out and say he is Hindu and a Jain". CM Siddaramaiah: We are not going to enter into an alliance with any party. We are a secular party. Reporter: But Janata Dal(S) is also secular CM Siddaramaiah: Who told you JDS is a secular party? #KarnatakaElections2018 pic.twitter.com/AsDrc7JAvc — ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2018 ×

We will not enter into alliance with any party: Siddaramaiah

<p>In one of the biggest asset declaration for the upcoming Karnataka elections, the state's Energy Minister DK Shivakumar's wealth has shown an increase of Rs 589 crore since the last assembly polls.</p>

<p>The declaration revealed an increase of Rs 589 crore in his wealth since 2013 elections.&nbsp;In 2013, Shivkumar's declared asset amounted to Rs 251 crore&nbsp;and Rs 75 crore in 2008. For the 2018 Karnataka polls, his 94-page affidavit revealed an asset of over Rs 840 crore.</p>

<p>The Congress leader filed his nomination for the Kanakapura constituency near Bengaluru on Thursday for the polls to be held on May 12.</p>

<p>His wealth tops the list of over 100 candidates who filed their nominations since April 17.</p>

<p>Much of the increase in his wealth is linked to an increase in the market value of land holdings.&nbsp;Besides his name, his assets are also shown in the name of his wife.</p>

<p>The Congress minister had organised a stay of about 43 MLAs from Gujarat in Bengaluru ahead of Rajya Sabha elections. Following which his properties were searched twice by the Income Tax officials.&nbsp;Tax officials then claimed to have uncovered over Rs 300 crore of undisclosed income from Shivkumar and his associates.</p>

<p>Considered as a strong leader in the Vokkaliga community, he is leading the party's campaign committee for the state polls.</p>


The declaration revealed an increase of Rs 589 crore in his wealth since 2013 elections. In 2013, Shivkumar's declared asset amounted to Rs 251 crore and Rs 75 crore in 2008. For the 2018 Karnataka polls, his 94-page affidavit revealed an asset of Rs 840 crore

In one of the biggest asset declaration for the upcoming Karnataka elections, the state's Energy Minister DK Shivakumar's wealth has shown an increase of Rs 589 crore since the last assembly polls. The declaration revealed an increase of Rs 589 crore in his wealth since 2013 elections. In 2013, Shivkumar's declared asset amounted to Rs 251 crore and Rs 75 crore in 2008. For the 2018 Karnataka polls, his 94-page affidavit revealed an asset of over Rs 840 crore. The Congress leader filed his nomination for the Kanakapura constituency near Bengaluru on Thursday for the polls to be held on May 12. His wealth tops the list of over 100 candidates who filed their nominations since April 17. Much of the increase in his wealth is linked to an increase in the market value of land holdings. Besides his name, his assets are also shown in the name of his wife. The Congress minister had organised a stay of about 43 MLAs from Gujarat in Bengaluru ahead of Rajya Sabha elections. Following which his properties were searched twice by the Income Tax officials. Tax officials then claimed to have uncovered over Rs 300 crore of undisclosed income from Shivkumar and his associates. Considered as a strong leader in the Vokkaliga community, he is leading the party's campaign committee for the state polls.

Karnataka Congress leader's assets show an increase of Rs 589 crore in five years

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-coming-to-power-in-karnataka-will-prove-to-be-stepping-stone-for-rest-of-country-siddaramaiah-to-wion-131388">Lingayat religious issue not created by us: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to WION</a></p>

<p>With the Karnataka elections just around the corner, chief minister Siddaramaiah is locked in a tight triangular contest with the BJP and the JD-S. Siddaramaiah says the Congress will come to power in Karnataka, paving the way for his party’s revival in the rest of the country.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/repeating-a-lie-doesnt-turn-it-into-the-truth-says-pak-on-pm-modis-surgical-strike-statement-131390">'Repeating a lie doesn't turn it into the truth,' says Pak on PM Modi's surgical strike statement</a></p>

<p>After PM Modi said the surgical strikes against Pakistan in September 2016 were a 100 per cent success, the Pakistan foreign office said today that "by continuously repeating a lie, it doesn't turn into the truth."</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/3-belgian-companies-face-heat-over-chemical-exports-to-syria-131430">3 Belgian companies face heat over chemical exports to Syria</a></p>

<p>According to reports, three Belgian countries have been accused of exporting chemicals to Syria. The trial date has already been set by a Belgian court. Chemicals exported include isopropanol which is also known to be used for producing nerve gas.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/air-force-carried-out-strikes-on-islamic-state-targets-inside-syria-iraq-pm-131409">Air Force carried out strikes on Islamic State targets inside Syria: Iraq PM</a></p>

<p>PM Haider al-Abadi's said Iraqi Air Force carried out air strikes on Islamic State(IS) installations inside Syria. The prime minister's office said the "deadly air strikes" were launched from the Iraqi side of the border.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watch-bangladesh-model-mosques-will-be-open-for-women--131408">Bangladesh's billion-dollar 'model' mosques will be open for women</a></p>

<p>Touted as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flagship project, the plan aims to set up model mosques across the country to check radical ideologies and counter Islamist extremist. The preliminary work for the project has already been started. &nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Lingayat religious issue not created by us: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah to WION With the Karnataka elections just around the corner, chief minister Siddaramaiah is locked in a tight triangular contest with the BJP and the JD-S. Siddaramaiah says the Congress will come to power in Karnataka, paving the way for his party’s revival in the rest of the country. 'Repeating a lie doesn't turn it into the truth,' says Pak on PM Modi's surgical strike statement After PM Modi said the surgical strikes against Pakistan in September 2016 were a 100 per cent success, the Pakistan foreign office said today that "by continuously repeating a lie, it doesn't turn into the truth." 3 Belgian companies face heat over chemical exports to Syria According to reports, three Belgian countries have been accused of exporting chemicals to Syria. The trial date has already been set by a Belgian court. Chemicals exported include isopropanol which is also known to be used for producing nerve gas. Air Force carried out strikes on Islamic State targets inside Syria: Iraq PM PM Haider al-Abadi's said Iraqi Air Force carried out air strikes on Islamic State(IS) installations inside Syria. The prime minister's office said the "deadly air strikes" were launched from the Iraqi side of the border. Bangladesh's billion-dollar 'model' mosques will be open for women Touted as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's flagship project, the plan aims to set up model mosques across the country to check radical ideologies and counter Islamist extremist. The preliminary work for the project has already been started.

News brief: Big stories of the day

<p>Divya Spandana, actor-turned-politician and former MP from Mandya in Karnataka from Congress spoke at length about the challenges facing the Congress Party in her home state Karnataka. The state will go to polls on May 12 and Congress is pitched in a triangular fight with JD-S and resurgent BJP. Divya Spandana is the reason behind the turn-around of Congress fortune on the social media. She said that fake news is a problem but people in-charge of big social media platforms are themselves politically aligned which makes it difficult to contain rough edges of social media.</p>

<p><strong>Q:</strong> How serious is the issue of fake news in Karnataka?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> Fake news is a serious issue and we know how it can elect politicians like Donald Trump and Narendra Modi. We are trying to counter it in Karnataka. BJP does it in every elections. We saw it in Gujarat elections where Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a statement against the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Even as a whisper campaign was launched against Ahmed Patel that he would be made Chief Minister of the state. So, we know how much damage a fake news campaign can do and lot of that is being done in Karnataka also.</p>

<p><strong>Q: </strong>Are you aware of the campaign which the Facebook has launched in Karnataka to curb fake news on its site?</p>

<p><strong>A:&nbsp</strong>It is a commendable effort but I’m also bit wary as I know that people who head Facebook have political leanings and they are part of the RSS and also worked for the 2014 campaign for the Narendra Modi. I’m not sure as to how credible is this but I followed BOOM in the past and I’m sure that they are doing a quite a good job so it is in right direction but how much credibility Facebook can lend to this is questionable.</p>

<p><strong>Q:</strong> What are the challenges before the Congress Party in this election?</p>

<p><strong>A:&nbsp</strong>We are talking about development and achievement of the Congress Party in the state but BJP has nothing to talk about as they have nothing to talk about their contribution as a party ruling at the Centre.&nbsp There are no jobs and economy is in the crisis. But what they do in every election is to drag us into fake propaganda, controversies and Hindutva conversation as much as we try to keep away from it. They want to keep us on our feet on these issues and it is a big challenge. They don’t want us to talk about issues as they have no contributions to talk about.</p>

<p><strong>Q:</strong> What are your campaign highlights?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> We will talk about development but you have to see the way people consume news today. Fake news and gossip travels much faster. If I’m talking about development and achievements of the Congress Party and how it has benefitted the people, the traction is much less so we have to find innovative ways to communicate with people as this is the way people consume news today.</p>

<p><strong>Q: </strong>How are you tailoring your social media campaign in Karnataka?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> Karnataka is number one in so many areas ranging from technology to development to women empowerment. So, those will be our talking points. For example schemes like Ksheera Bhagya and Anna Bhagya which have immensely benefited the people.</p>

<p><strong>Q:</strong> Ticket distribution has been much of a spoiler as senior leaders of party have revolted and spoken against the Congress High Command?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> This is how it is going to be in politics. People have their chances in politics and now other people need to be given the chance. So, there will be some kind of discontent and it would especially happen when you are trying to make some sort of a change. It will create friction. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it.</p>

<p><strong>Q:</strong> What is your plan to tackle BJP on social media? Like BJP used WhatsApp as a platform tool to campaign and mobilise.</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> What do you do when PM himself spreads fake news.</p>

<p><strong>Q:</strong> This is a big charge to make Divya.</p>

<p><strong>A: </strong>What do you mean? Didn’t PM make that statement against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that he has ties with Pakistan? They don’t need WhatsApp and Twitter when they have PM to spread fake news. He made allegations which had no basis at all.</p>

<p><strong>Q:</strong> Despite political parties talking about social development, both BJP and Congress are seen to be making rounds of religious institutions?</p>

<p><strong>A:</strong> It is because it is an important part of our culture and community so it is important to reach out to them.</p>

<p>&nbsp</p>


Divya Spandana, actor turned politician and former MP from Mandya in Karnataka from Congress spoke at length about the challenges facing the Congress Party in her home state Karnataka

Divya Spandana, actor-turned-politician and former MP from Mandya in Karnataka from Congress spoke at length about the challenges facing the Congress Party in her home state Karnataka. The state will go to polls on May 12 and Congress is pitched in a triangular fight with JD-S and resurgent BJP. Divya Spandana is the reason behind the turn-around of Congress fortune on the social media. She said that fake news is a problem but people in-charge of big social media platforms are themselves politically aligned which makes it difficult to contain rough edges of social media. Q: How serious is the issue of fake news in Karnataka? A: Fake news is a serious issue and we know how it can elect politicians like Donald Trump and Narendra Modi. We are trying to counter it in Karnataka. BJP does it in every elections. We saw it in Gujarat elections where Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a statement against the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Even as a whisper campaign was launched against Ahmed Patel that he would be made Chief Minister of the state. So, we know how much damage a fake news campaign can do and lot of that is being done in Karnataka also. Q: Are you aware of the campaign which the Facebook has launched in Karnataka to curb fake news on its site? A: It is a commendable effort but I’m also bit wary as I know that people who head Facebook have political leanings and they are part of the RSS and also worked for the 2014 campaign for the Narendra Modi. I’m not sure as to how credible is this but I followed BOOM in the past and I’m sure that they are doing a quite a good job so it is in right direction but how much credibility Facebook can lend to this is questionable. Q: What are the challenges before the Congress Party in this election? A: We are talking about development and achievement of the Congress Party in the state but BJP has nothing to talk about as they have nothing to talk about their contribution as a party ruling at the Centre. There are no jobs and economy is in the crisis. But what they do in every election is to drag us into fake propaganda, controversies and Hindutva conversation as much as we try to keep away from it. They want to keep us on our feet on these issues and it is a big challenge. They don’t want us to talk about issues as they have no contributions to talk about. Q: What are your campaign highlights? A: We will talk about development but you have to see the way people consume news today. Fake news and gossip travels much faster. If I’m talking about development and achievements of the Congress Party and how it has benefitted the people, the traction is much less so we have to find innovative ways to communicate with people as this is the way people consume news today. Q: How are you tailoring your social media campaign in Karnataka? A: Karnataka is number one in so many areas ranging from technology to development to women empowerment. So, those will be our talking points. For example schemes like Ksheera Bhagya and Anna Bhagya which have immensely benefited the people. Q: Ticket distribution has been much of a spoiler as senior leaders of party have revolted and spoken against the Congress High Command? A: This is how it is going to be in politics. People have their chances in politics and now other people need to be given the chance. So, there will be some kind of discontent and it would especially happen when you are trying to make some sort of a change. It will create friction. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it. Q: What is your plan to tackle BJP on social media? Like BJP used WhatsApp as a platform tool to campaign and mobilise. A: What do you do when PM himself spreads fake news. Q: This is a big charge to make Divya. A: What do you mean? Didn’t PM make that statement against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that he has ties with Pakistan? They don’t need WhatsApp and Twitter when they have PM to spread fake news. He made allegations which had no basis at all. Q: Despite political parties talking about social development, both BJP and Congress are seen to be making rounds of religious institutions? A: It is because it is an important part of our culture and community so it is important to reach out to them.

Fake news is a serious issue, can elect politicians like Trump, Modi: Former Congress MP Divya Spandana

<p>Social networking giant Facebook is introducing a third-party fact-checking programme in India to combat the spread of "false news" on its platform, starting with a pilot in Karnataka, which goes to polls next month.</p>

<p>Facebook said it has partnered with BOOM, an independent digital journalism initiative certified through the International Fact-Checking Network, for a pilot in Karnataka.</p>

<p>Assembly elections in Karnataka will be held on May 12.</p>

<p>In a blogpost today, the US social networking giant said the programme in India aims "to fight the spread of false news on our platform".</p>

<p>BOOM will review English language news stories flagged on Facebook, check facts, and rate their accuracy, it said.</p>

<p>Facebook is running similar initiatives in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines and the US.</p>

<p>Over the last few weeks, Facebook has drawn intense criticism from users and governments globally over a number of issues, ranging from false news on the platform to information of over 80 million users being mined by data analytics and political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica.</p>

<p>The Indian government had also questioned both the companies on the impact of the data breach. Facebook had admitted that nearly 5.62 lakh people in India were "potentially affected" by the incident.<br />
Testifying before the US Congress, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had said his organisation was committed to ensure integrity of elections across the world, including India.</p>

<p>In its blogpost, the company said it believes that "once a story is rated as false, we have been able to reduce its distribution by 80 per cent, and thereby, improve accuracy of information on Facebook and reduce misinformation".</p>

<p>Facebook has already stated that it will use reports from community along with other signals to send stories to fact-checking organisations.</p>

<p>"We are beginning small and know it is important to learn from this test and listen to our community as we continue to update ways for people to understand what might be false news in their News Feed," it said.</p>

<p>Detailing out the process, Facebook said after a story is rated as false by the fact-checker, it will figure lower in News Feed, "significantly reducing its distribution".</p>

<p>"This in turn stops the hoax from spreading and reduces the number of people who see it. Pages and domains that repeatedly share false news will also see their distribution reduced and their ability to monetise and advertise removed," it said.</p>

<p>This, Facebook said, will help curb the spread of "financially motivated false news".</p>

<p>"We also want to empower people to decide for themselves what to read, trust, and share by providing the community with more information and control... If third-party fact-checkers write articles debunking a false news story, we'll show it in Related Articles immediately below the story in News Feed," Facebook said.</p>

<p>Facebook will also send people and Page administrators notifications if they try to share a story or have shared one in the past that has been determined to be false.</p>

<p>"While third party fact checking is part of our ongoing efforts to combat spread of false news, we are working hard to improve the accuracy of information on Facebook in various ways," it added.&nbsp</p>


Karnataka goes to the polls on May 12. The fact-checking services will be provided by a third party

Social networking giant Facebook is introducing a third-party fact-checking programme in India to combat the spread of "false news" on its platform, starting with a pilot in Karnataka, which goes to polls next month. Facebook said it has partnered with BOOM, an independent digital journalism initiative certified through the International Fact-Checking Network, for a pilot in Karnataka. Assembly elections in Karnataka will be held on May 12. In a blogpost today, the US social networking giant said the programme in India aims "to fight the spread of false news on our platform". BOOM will review English language news stories flagged on Facebook, check facts, and rate their accuracy, it said. Facebook is running similar initiatives in France, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines and the US. Over the last few weeks, Facebook has drawn intense criticism from users and governments globally over a number of issues, ranging from false news on the platform to information of over 80 million users being mined by data analytics and political consulting firm, Cambridge Analytica. The Indian government had also questioned both the companies on the impact of the data breach. Facebook had admitted that nearly 5.62 lakh people in India were "potentially affected" by the incident. Testifying before the US Congress, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg had said his organisation was committed to ensure integrity of elections across the world, including India. In its blogpost, the company said it believes that "once a story is rated as false, we have been able to reduce its distribution by 80 per cent, and thereby, improve accuracy of information on Facebook and reduce misinformation". Facebook has already stated that it will use reports from community along with other signals to send stories to fact-checking organisations. "We are beginning small and know it is important to learn from this test and listen to our community as we continue to update ways for people to understand what might be false news in their News Feed," it said. Detailing out the process, Facebook said after a story is rated as false by the fact-checker, it will figure lower in News Feed, "significantly reducing its distribution". "This in turn stops the hoax from spreading and reduces the number of people who see it. Pages and domains that repeatedly share false news will also see their distribution reduced and their ability to monetise and advertise removed," it said. This, Facebook said, will help curb the spread of "financially motivated false news". "We also want to empower people to decide for themselves what to read, trust, and share by providing the community with more information and control... If third-party fact-checkers write articles debunking a false news story, we'll show it in Related Articles immediately below the story in News Feed," Facebook said. Facebook will also send people and Page administrators notifications if they try to share a story or have shared one in the past that has been determined to be false. "While third party fact checking is part of our ongoing efforts to combat spread of false news, we are working hard to improve the accuracy of information on Facebook in various ways," it added.

Facebook introduces fact-checking programme to fight fake news; starts pilot in Karnataka

<p>The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday released the second list of its candidates for the upcoming Karnataka elections.</p>

<p>The second list for the Karnataka assembly polls&nbsp;includes 82 candidates.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On April 8, the party had released its<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-announces-first-list-of-candidates-for-karnataka-elections-129221">&nbsp;first list including 72 candidates</a>.</p>

<p>BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa will contest the elections from the Shikaripura constituency.</p>

<p>Rival party&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-releases-list-of-218-candidates-for-karnataka-polls-130629">Congress had released a list of 218 candidates for the Karnataka polls </a>on Sunday.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Elections in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in&nbsp;a single phase.</p>

<p><img alt="bjp2.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="582" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/news/bjp2.JPG" width="614" /></p>

<p><img alt="BJP 3.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="862" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/news/BJP%203.JPG" width="611" /></p>

<p><img alt="bjp4_0.JPG" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="734" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/news/bjp4_0.JPG" width="619" /></p>


On April 8, the party had released its first list including 72 candidates

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday released the second list of its candidates for the upcoming Karnataka elections. The second list for the Karnataka assembly polls includes 82 candidates. On April 8, the party had released its first list including 72 candidates. BJP's chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa will contest the elections from the Shikaripura constituency. Rival party Congress had released a list of 218 candidates for the Karnataka polls on Sunday. Elections in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in a single phase.

Karnataka assembly elections: BJP releases second list of 82 candidates

<p>India's IT hub Bengaluru has become infamous for its water problems - be it frothing lakes or the shortage in drinking water. Many experts have predicted doomsday for the city, some even pegging it to be the next Cape Town which is staring at a drought.</p>

<p>But these problems have not cropped up overnight. Many leaders, over successive elections, have promised clean drinking water to the city. Yet, more than 40 per cent population of the IT city has been left to fend for itself when it comes to potable water.</p>

<p>"Forty five per cent of Bangaloreans depend on ground water resources and water from other sources like tankers etc. The tragedy of the city is that it is governed by mafia - water, waste and land mafia. And they are dictating terms. During election time, politicians make promises about water supply from various parts like Western Ghats etc. But the reality is - there is no water at these sources. Even in Western Ghats, last year I noticed decline in water yield," said TV Ramachandra, Professor at prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc).</p>

<p>In 2008, 110 villages were added under the Bengaluru Municipal limits. All these villages were promised Cauvery water connection, but they are still waiting for it 10 years later.</p>

<p>"Water connectivity is very low. There are several apartments in the city's outskirts who do not receive Cauvery water. Most of them either have borewell, or they buy water from tankers which is a mafia in itself," lamented Murali Govindarajulu, who live in one such society.</p>

<p>Whether it is the decades-old frothing lakes, or the drying up groundwater table or the steady rise in temperature, the citizens here have been crying hoarse to successive governments to bring sustainable change.</p>

<p>So how successful has the Siddaramaiah government been in bringing change? Looking at the water scarcity and toxic lakes - not much.</p>

<p>For environmentalists like Kshitij Urs, who has actively campaigned for the city's water bodies, taking the legal route has enabled them capture the government's attention.</p>

<p>"In the past five years, there has been a significant change in the way we've been able to get the government look at the issue. Obviously, we had to force them through legal interventions because they did not bother when people got together and protested. The high court very clearly said that the common water has to be protected and encroachments, for which we had gone to the court, had to be removed," Urs said.</p>

<p>It has certainly not been all rosy for the citizen activists of Bengaluru. In 2014, the government passed the landmark law called the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Act which gave substantial powers to the Karnataka Lake Development Authority in the state. But the same government that claimed credit for this progressive law, repealed it just a few days before the election dates were announced this year.</p>

<p>"It was a mischief that the then chief minister had played on Karnataka because he had made it an authority but registered it as a society. And never made it a law. So even when there were encroachments happening, they were not able to do anything. So we got the law passed. That law was indeed an extremely progressive law. Unfortunately, that got reversed, just before the elections got announced," Urs said.</p>

<p>Unfortunately, repealing the law in question was not the only attempt made by the government to make lake encroachments easy. Scientists have also criticised the move to handover all lakes to the Minor Irrigation department, that has no expertise to maintain the fragile and unique ecosystem of each lake. The lack of expertise in looking after the lakes could lead to their eventual death and encroachment.</p>

<p>"Quality of people who are getting elected into the system, that is the root cause of all the problems. The day when bangaloreans assert and start electing the right people, we will regain the glory of Bangalore, and Karnataka. We need to do that," said Professor Ramachandra.</p>

<p>In 2015-16, the government spent Rs 4,259 lakh on lakes, the figure was revised to Rs 8,171 lakh in the following year. In 2017-18, it substantially increased to Rs 22,321 lakh, but the amount was almost halved to Rs 11,322 lakhs in 2018-19 outlay.</p>

<p>Citizens have also been critical of the government for not being able to plug the leak, literally, as nearly 50 per cent of the water pumped to Bengaluru is lost due to leakages. Added to that, rainwater harvesting has not been effectively implemented too.</p>

<p>While precious little has been done to save the lakes despite the NGT and high court orders, the government seems more focused on implementing big-ticket projects, like planning to bring desalinated water all the way from the Arabian Sea, or pumping Bellandur lakes's treated water to dried up lakes in Anekal and Kolar.</p>

<p>Surveys have shows that Bengaluru water problem features right on top of the list for politicians this election season. But with barely any visible progress made when it comes to lake conservation or providing a clean and sustainable source of water to nearly 40 per cent of city's population, it will surely have a bearing on the minds of the voters as they head towards the polling booths on May 12.</p>


In 2008, 110 villages were added under the Bengaluru Municipal limits. All these villages were promised Cauvery water connection, but they are still waiting for it 10 years later.

India's IT hub Bengaluru has become infamous for its water problems - be it frothing lakes or the shortage in drinking water. Many experts have predicted doomsday for the city, some even pegging it to be the next Cape Town which is staring at a drought. But these problems have not cropped up overnight. Many leaders, over successive elections, have promised clean drinking water to the city. Yet, more than 40 per cent population of the IT city has been left to fend for itself when it comes to potable water. "Forty five per cent of Bangaloreans depend on ground water resources and water from other sources like tankers etc. The tragedy of the city is that it is governed by mafia - water, waste and land mafia. And they are dictating terms. During election time, politicians make promises about water supply from various parts like Western Ghats etc. But the reality is - there is no water at these sources. Even in Western Ghats, last year I noticed decline in water yield," said TV Ramachandra, Professor at prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc). In 2008, 110 villages were added under the Bengaluru Municipal limits. All these villages were promised Cauvery water connection, but they are still waiting for it 10 years later. "Water connectivity is very low. There are several apartments in the city's outskirts who do not receive Cauvery water. Most of them either have borewell, or they buy water from tankers which is a mafia in itself," lamented Murali Govindarajulu, who live in one such society. Whether it is the decades-old frothing lakes, or the drying up groundwater table or the steady rise in temperature, the citizens here have been crying hoarse to successive governments to bring sustainable change. So how successful has the Siddaramaiah government been in bringing change? Looking at the water scarcity and toxic lakes - not much. For environmentalists like Kshitij Urs, who has actively campaigned for the city's water bodies, taking the legal route has enabled them capture the government's attention. "In the past five years, there has been a significant change in the way we've been able to get the government look at the issue. Obviously, we had to force them through legal interventions because they did not bother when people got together and protested. The high court very clearly said that the common water has to be protected and encroachments, for which we had gone to the court, had to be removed," Urs said. It has certainly not been all rosy for the citizen activists of Bengaluru. In 2014, the government passed the landmark law called the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Act which gave substantial powers to the Karnataka Lake Development Authority in the state. But the same government that claimed credit for this progressive law, repealed it just a few days before the election dates were announced this year. "It was a mischief that the then chief minister had played on Karnataka because he had made it an authority but registered it as a society. And never made it a law. So even when there were encroachments happening, they were not able to do anything. So we got the law passed. That law was indeed an extremely progressive law. Unfortunately, that got reversed, just before the elections got announced," Urs said. Unfortunately, repealing the law in question was not the only attempt made by the government to make lake encroachments easy. Scientists have also criticised the move to handover all lakes to the Minor Irrigation department, that has no expertise to maintain the fragile and unique ecosystem of each lake. The lack of expertise in looking after the lakes could lead to their eventual death and encroachment. "Quality of people who are getting elected into the system, that is the root cause of all the problems. The day when bangaloreans assert and start electing the right people, we will regain the glory of Bangalore, and Karnataka. We need to do that," said Professor Ramachandra. In 2015-16, the government spent Rs 4,259 lakh on lakes, the figure was revised to Rs 8,171 lakh in the following year. In 2017-18, it substantially increased to Rs 22,321 lakh, but the amount was almost halved to Rs 11,322 lakhs in 2018-19 outlay. Citizens have also been critical of the government for not being able to plug the leak, literally, as nearly 50 per cent of the water pumped to Bengaluru is lost due to leakages. Added to that, rainwater harvesting has not been effectively implemented too. While precious little has been done to save the lakes despite the NGT and high court orders, the government seems more focused on implementing big-ticket projects, like planning to bring desalinated water all the way from the Arabian Sea, or pumping Bellandur lakes's treated water to dried up lakes in Anekal and Kolar. Surveys have shows that Bengaluru water problem features right on top of the list for politicians this election season. But with barely any visible progress made when it comes to lake conservation or providing a clean and sustainable source of water to nearly 40 per cent of city's population, it will surely have a bearing on the minds of the voters as they head towards the polling booths on May 12.

Karnataka elections: Bengaluru water scarcity a reality, but not a priority

<p>&nbsp;The Congress has released a list of 218 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka polls.</p>

<p>Current state chief minister and party's chief ministerial candidate Siddaramaiah will contest the election from Chamundeshwari constituency. While his son&nbsp;Yathindra Siddaramaiah will contest from Varuna constituency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa will be contesting from the Shikaripura constituency.</p>

<p>The assembly&nbsp;elections in Karnataka are scheduled to be&nbsp;held on May 12 in&nbsp;a single phase.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congress releases list of 218 candidates for upcoming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Karnataka?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Karnataka</a> assembly elections <a href="https://t.co/u3k2pyM11B">pic.twitter.com/u3k2pyM11B</a></p>
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Current state chief minister and party's chief ministerial candidate Siddaramaiah will contest the election from Chamundeshwari constituency. While his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah will contest from Varuna constituency

The Congress has released a list of 218 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka polls. Current state chief minister and party's chief ministerial candidate Siddaramaiah will contest the election from Chamundeshwari constituency. While his son Yathindra Siddaramaiah will contest from Varuna constituency. BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa will be contesting from the Shikaripura constituency. The assembly elections in Karnataka are scheduled to be held on May 12 in a single phase. Congress releases list of 218 candidates for upcoming #Karnataka assembly elections pic.twitter.com/u3k2pyM11B — ANI (@ANI) April 15, 2018 ×

Karnataka elections: Congress releases list of 218 candidates

<p>Karnataka heads to polls on May 12. Counting of votes and announcement of results will take place on May 15. In the run-up to the elections, here are five issues that dominate politics in the state.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Both parties are taking no chances with the state, considered by the BJP as the gateway to the South. Karnataka is under Congress rule and stands in the way of BJP’s agenda of Congress-free India.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
Here are five issues that will dominate the political landscape in the state.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Law and order: </strong>The issue is one where the Siddaramaiah government finds itself on the backfoot. Rationalist and leading scholar MM Kalburgi was shot dead at his home in 2015. His wife has written to the Supreme Court stating that she is not satisfied with the probe being conducted by the state police and wants a Special Investigation Team to investigate her husband's death. Journalist Gauri Lankesh, a critic of right-wing ideology, was killed outside her home in Bengaluru in 2017 but the case has not been solved yet despite the arrest of a suspect Naveen Kumar. Investigators have said that there is a similarity in the killings of Gauri Lankesh and of Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar, rationalists and vocal critics of the Hindutva agenda. Forensic reports confirm similar weapons were used and shootings were carried out by assassins on motorcycles but the cases remain unsolved. Several lynchings of BJP and RSS workers have been reported in the state recently. Incidents of sexual harassment and molestation during New Year celebrations in Bengaluru were reported for last two consecutive years. “In Karnataka, there is ease of doing murder,” Modi said in Bengaluru, in an apparent reference to the spate of murders that have taken place in recent months in coastal Karnataka and Bengaluru.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Farmers' suicides:</strong> As many as 3,515 farmers have committed suicide between April 2013 and November 2017 in Karnataka. From April 2015 to April 2017, as many as 2,514 suicide cases were reported. The highest number of suicides (1,483) were reported during 2015-16. A majority of these suicides have been because of drought and farm failure as per the statistics provided by the State Agriculture Department. The government has taken steps that include asking banks not to force farmers to repay their dues and turn their short and medium-term crop loans into long-term loans with the waiver of interest. It has also registered cases against moneylenders who lend loans at exorbitant interest rates. However, the government has been accused of failing to solve the agrarian crisis.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Kannada pride:</strong> The issue of the primacy of Kannada or Kannada Swabhimana has developed into a strong movement and is also expected to take centrestage in the elections. The Railways had to incorporate Kannada in tickets of trains plying within the state, the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru had to introduce Kannada in flight information display boards, Lufthansa, British Airways and Dragon Air started announcements in Kannada in Bengaluru-bound flights. This constituency of youngsters, led by mostly software professionals, under the banner of Banavasi Balaga and Kannada Grahakara Koota cannot be ignored. The Siddaramaiah government has caught on to the popular sentiment and is trying to introduce Kannada to be incorporated in passports used in Karnataka. Even more surprising was his decision to moot a separate Kannada flag, justifying it as the comeback of federalism. The flag has already been approved by the cabinet and will now be sent to the Union home ministry for its approval.The BJP, on the other hand, is an advocate of "one nation" and believes it will lead to divisive tendencies. The JD(U) has stayed away from this discussion.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Corruption: </strong>Both the Congress and the BJP have dubbed each other as "the most corrupt". PM Modi has called the Siddaramaiah government the "10% government" where no work or project could take off without paying a commission to the Congress. Modi accused the Congress of being involved in multiple scams including buildings, transfers and sand. The Congress has accused former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa-led BJP government of presiding over the mining scam when it was in power in the state. Siddaramaiah has also been accused of nepotism. His son Yathindra Siddaramaiah's company Matrix Imaging Solutions was allegedly awarded a tender to set up a pathology laboratory inside the premises of the government-owned super-speciality Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute. Siddaramaiah's rivals have stated that the deal violated the code of conduct for ministers.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
<strong>Politics of religion and caste: </strong>The BJP and the JDS have traditionally relied on religion and caste dynamics. However, in a major surprise political move ahead of the assembly elections, the state cabinet in March decided to recommend to the Centre according separate religion status to the numerically strong Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community. The move was seen as an attempt by the Siddaramaiah government to cut into the vote bank of BJP, as Lingayats/ Veerashaivas are considered the party's traditional supporters. Lingayats, a middle caste, comprise around 15 per cent of Karnataka's population, and dominate politics in the state. A section of the community has been seeking the status of a separate religion as distinct from the Hindu religion.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The BJP has reached out to the Vokkaligas, who are believed to be the second largest caste group in the state after the Lingayats and who form the support base of the Janata Dal (Secular), a regional party run by Vokkaliga strongmen like former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. The Congress party, with leaders like DK Shivakumar, has also got the support of the Vokkaligas.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Dalits are the third most important caste group which is why Siddaramaiah has tried to woo them through the AHINDA (acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) movement.</p>


Both BJP and Congress are taking no chances, considered by the BJP as the gateway to the South. Karnataka is under Congress rule and stands in the way of BJP’s agenda of Congress-free India.

Karnataka heads to polls on May 12. Counting of votes and announcement of results will take place on May 15. In the run-up to the elections, here are five issues that dominate politics in the state. Both parties are taking no chances with the state, considered by the BJP as the gateway to the South. Karnataka is under Congress rule and stands in the way of BJP’s agenda of Congress-free India. Here are five issues that will dominate the political landscape in the state. Law and order: The issue is one where the Siddaramaiah government finds itself on the backfoot. Rationalist and leading scholar MM Kalburgi was shot dead at his home in 2015. His wife has written to the Supreme Court stating that she is not satisfied with the probe being conducted by the state police and wants a Special Investigation Team to investigate her husband's death. Journalist Gauri Lankesh, a critic of right-wing ideology, was killed outside her home in Bengaluru in 2017 but the case has not been solved yet despite the arrest of a suspect Naveen Kumar. Investigators have said that there is a similarity in the killings of Gauri Lankesh and of Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar, rationalists and vocal critics of the Hindutva agenda. Forensic reports confirm similar weapons were used and shootings were carried out by assassins on motorcycles but the cases remain unsolved. Several lynchings of BJP and RSS workers have been reported in the state recently. Incidents of sexual harassment and molestation during New Year celebrations in Bengaluru were reported for last two consecutive years. “In Karnataka, there is ease of doing murder,” Modi said in Bengaluru, in an apparent reference to the spate of murders that have taken place in recent months in coastal Karnataka and Bengaluru. Farmers' suicides: As many as 3,515 farmers have committed suicide between April 2013 and November 2017 in Karnataka. From April 2015 to April 2017, as many as 2,514 suicide cases were reported. The highest number of suicides (1,483) were reported during 2015-16. A majority of these suicides have been because of drought and farm failure as per the statistics provided by the State Agriculture Department. The government has taken steps that include asking banks not to force farmers to repay their dues and turn their short and medium-term crop loans into long-term loans with the waiver of interest. It has also registered cases against moneylenders who lend loans at exorbitant interest rates. However, the government has been accused of failing to solve the agrarian crisis. Kannada pride: The issue of the primacy of Kannada or Kannada Swabhimana has developed into a strong movement and is also expected to take centrestage in the elections. The Railways had to incorporate Kannada in tickets of trains plying within the state, the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru had to introduce Kannada in flight information display boards, Lufthansa, British Airways and Dragon Air started announcements in Kannada in Bengaluru-bound flights. This constituency of youngsters, led by mostly software professionals, under the banner of Banavasi Balaga and Kannada Grahakara Koota cannot be ignored. The Siddaramaiah government has caught on to the popular sentiment and is trying to introduce Kannada to be incorporated in passports used in Karnataka. Even more surprising was his decision to moot a separate Kannada flag, justifying it as the comeback of federalism. The flag has already been approved by the cabinet and will now be sent to the Union home ministry for its approval.The BJP, on the other hand, is an advocate of "one nation" and believes it will lead to divisive tendencies. The JD(U) has stayed away from this discussion. Corruption: Both the Congress and the BJP have dubbed each other as "the most corrupt". PM Modi has called the Siddaramaiah government the "10% government" where no work or project could take off without paying a commission to the Congress. Modi accused the Congress of being involved in multiple scams including buildings, transfers and sand. The Congress has accused former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa-led BJP government of presiding over the mining scam when it was in power in the state. Siddaramaiah has also been accused of nepotism. His son Yathindra Siddaramaiah's company Matrix Imaging Solutions was allegedly awarded a tender to set up a pathology laboratory inside the premises of the government-owned super-speciality Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute. Siddaramaiah's rivals have stated that the deal violated the code of conduct for ministers. Politics of religion and caste: The BJP and the JDS have traditionally relied on religion and caste dynamics. However, in a major surprise political move ahead of the assembly elections, the state cabinet in March decided to recommend to the Centre according separate religion status to the numerically strong Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community. The move was seen as an attempt by the Siddaramaiah government to cut into the vote bank of BJP, as Lingayats/ Veerashaivas are considered the party's traditional supporters. Lingayats, a middle caste, comprise around 15 per cent of Karnataka's population, and dominate politics in the state. A section of the community has been seeking the status of a separate religion as distinct from the Hindu religion. The BJP has reached out to the Vokkaligas, who are believed to be the second largest caste group in the state after the Lingayats and who form the support base of the Janata Dal (Secular), a regional party run by Vokkaliga strongmen like former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. The Congress party, with leaders like DK Shivakumar, has also got the support of the Vokkaligas. The Dalits are the third most important caste group which is why Siddaramaiah has tried to woo them through the AHINDA (acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) movement.

Five issues that will dominate Karnataka Assembly elections

<p>The Election Commission of India has clarified that the alleged leak of the dates for Karnataka polls was a 'mere speculation'.</p>

<p>The EC said on Friday, "Alleged leak wasn't a leak and was mere speculation. Presentation of news item by TV channels and tweets by political party leaders regarding the dates just as commission was making the announcement, was avoidable".&nbsp;</p>

<p>The dates of the Karnataka election polls were said to have leaked after BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted the election date of the polls before the EC's announcement. He tweeted the polls would be held on May 12 and counting will take place on May 18.While he was correct about the date of polling, he got the counting date wrong</p>

<p>On March 27, the Election Commission had constituted a committee of senior officials to probe the leak of the poll schedule.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Alleged leak wasn't a leak & was mere speculation. Presentation of news item by TV channels&tweets by political party leaders regarding the dates,just as Commission was making the announcement,was avoidable: Election Commission on alleged leak of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarnatakaAssemblyElections?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarnatakaAssemblyElections</a> dates</p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/984804196598931456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The EC said on Friday, 'Alleged leak wasn't a leak and was mere speculation. Presentation of news item by TV channels and tweets by political party leaders regarding the dates just as commission was making the announcement, was avoidable'

The Election Commission of India has clarified that the alleged leak of the dates for Karnataka polls was a 'mere speculation'. The EC said on Friday, "Alleged leak wasn't a leak and was mere speculation. Presentation of news item by TV channels and tweets by political party leaders regarding the dates just as commission was making the announcement, was avoidable". The dates of the Karnataka election polls were said to have leaked after BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted the election date of the polls before the EC's announcement. He tweeted the polls would be held on May 12 and counting will take place on May 18.While he was correct about the date of polling, he got the counting date wrong On March 27, the Election Commission had constituted a committee of senior officials to probe the leak of the poll schedule. Alleged leak wasn't a leak & was mere speculation. Presentation of news item by TV channels&tweets by political party leaders regarding the dates,just as Commission was making the announcement,was avoidable: Election Commission on alleged leak of #KarnatakaAssemblyElections dates — ANI (@ANI) April 13, 2018 ×

Karnataka polls date were not leaked, EC clarifies, calls it 'mere speculation'

<p>The Supreme Court on Monday heard the Center's plea to extend the deadline for framing a scheme to implement it's February 16 judgement in the Cauvery water dispute case. The deadline ended on March 29.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court has asked Centre to file its draft scheme by May 3 in pursuance of its judgment in the Cauvery water dispute case.</p>

<p>A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that it considered the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and decided the water share for states, which has to be complied with.</p>

<p>Further, they asked the authorities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to maintain peace in their states till the Court finalises the scheme for implementation of its judgment.</p>

<p>The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a “higher pedestal”.&nbsp;</p>

<p>It also directed the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on water dispute. It further modified the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award of 2007 and made it clear that it will not be extending time for this on any ground.</p>

<p>The petition said it was filed to “protect the interests of the farmers and the larger interests of the State”.&nbsp;</p>


SC also said that it considered the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and decided the water share for states, which has to be complied with

The Supreme Court on Monday heard the Center's plea to extend the deadline for framing a scheme to implement it's February 16 judgement in the Cauvery water dispute case. The deadline ended on March 29. The Supreme Court has asked Centre to file its draft scheme by May 3 in pursuance of its judgment in the Cauvery water dispute case. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra said that it considered the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal award and decided the water share for states, which has to be complied with. Further, they asked the authorities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to maintain peace in their states till the Court finalises the scheme for implementation of its judgment. The apex court had on February 16 raised the 270 tmcft share of Cauvery water for Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu’s share while compensating it by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water has to be placed on a “higher pedestal”. It also directed the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement on water dispute. It further modified the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal (CWDT) award of 2007 and made it clear that it will not be extending time for this on any ground. The petition said it was filed to “protect the interests of the farmers and the larger interests of the State”.

Cauvery water row: Supreme Court asks Centre to file scheme by May 3

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a ride in Bangalore metro, shopped for books and savoured local delicacies. Gandhi was on a two-day weekend visit to poll-bound Karnataka.</p>

<p>"Gandhi, accompanied by party leaders, rode the metro and later shopped for some books at a bookstore in the city centre," a party official said.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congress President <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a> takes time out for a selfie during a ride on the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NammaMetro?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NammaMetro</a> in Bengaluru. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BengaluruNammaHemme?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BengaluruNammaHemme</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JanaAashirwadaYatre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JanaAashirwadaYatre</a> <a href="https://t.co/A6tq6msmHW">pic.twitter.com/A6tq6msmHW</a></p>
— Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/982917404966744065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Congress chief boarded the metro at Vidhana Soudha metro station and took a train&nbsp;to MG Road station.</p>

<p>Gandhi was accompanied by other senior party leaders like state unit chief G. Parameshwara, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and state in-charge K.C.Venugopal, among others. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah bought metro tickets for all party leaders.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">CM <a href="https://twitter.com/siddaramaiah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@siddaramaiah</a> bought & gifted books to Congress President <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a> at a bookstore in Church Street.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BengaluruNammaHemme?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BengaluruNammaHemme</a> <a href="https://t.co/RNC7AP5HkX">pic.twitter.com/RNC7AP5HkX</a></p>
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCKarnataka/status/982925090844274688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>After the metro-ride, Rahul Gandhi visited High Street, a recently renovated vehicle-free pedestrian plaza.</p>

<p>He also visited a bookstore located at Church Street and browsed through books.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3ZkUkJHyqbc" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<p>CM Siddaramaiah bought and gifted books to Gandhi, that included Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's 'The Goat Thief', British author Karen Armstrong's 'A History of God', 'The Art of Living' by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh and a book on the Japanese concept of 'Ikigai'.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congress President <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RahulGandhi</a> stops for lunch at Koshys. The staff share pictures of Former Prime Ministers Nehru ji and Indira ji dining at their establishment. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JanaAashirwadaYatre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JanaAashirwadaYatre</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BengaluruNammaHemme?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BengaluruNammaHemme</a> <a href="https://t.co/pTMVypZQ7f">pic.twitter.com/pTMVypZQ7f</a></p>
— Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/982924519286411264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Gandhi, along with other leaders, stopped at Koshys for a quick traditional lunch and was spotted indulging in post-lunch&nbsp;<em>kulfis </em>at a local joint.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="in">Congress President Rahul Gandhi stops by for a post-lunch kulfi in Bengaluru. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JanaAashirwadaYatre?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JanaAashirwadaYatre</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BengaluruNammaHemme?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BengaluruNammaHemme</a> <a href="https://t.co/KUZyMIGZOF">pic.twitter.com/KUZyMIGZOF</a></p>
— Congress (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/982932346168016896?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;</em></p>


After metro-ride, Rahul Gandhi visited High Street, a recently renovated vehicle-free pedestrian plaza

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday took a ride in Bangalore metro, shopped for books and savoured local delicacies. Gandhi was on a two-day weekend visit to poll-bound Karnataka. "Gandhi, accompanied by party leaders, rode the metro and later shopped for some books at a bookstore in the city centre," a party official said. Congress President @RahulGandhi takes time out for a selfie during a ride on the #NammaMetro in Bengaluru. #BengaluruNammaHemme #JanaAashirwadaYatre pic.twitter.com/A6tq6msmHW — Congress (@INCIndia) April 8, 2018 × Congress chief boarded the metro at Vidhana Soudha metro station and took a train to MG Road station. Gandhi was accompanied by other senior party leaders like state unit chief G. Parameshwara, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, senior party leader Mallikarjun Kharge and state in-charge K.C.Venugopal, among others. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah bought metro tickets for all party leaders. CM @siddaramaiah bought & gifted books to Congress President @RahulGandhi at a bookstore in Church Street.#BengaluruNammaHemme pic.twitter.com/RNC7AP5HkX — Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) April 8, 2018 × After the metro-ride, Rahul Gandhi visited High Street, a recently renovated vehicle-free pedestrian plaza. He also visited a bookstore located at Church Street and browsed through books. CM Siddaramaiah bought and gifted books to Gandhi, that included Tamil writer Perumal Murugan's 'The Goat Thief', British author Karen Armstrong's 'A History of God', 'The Art of Living' by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hanh and a book on the Japanese concept of 'Ikigai'. Congress President @RahulGandhi stops for lunch at Koshys. The staff share pictures of Former Prime Ministers Nehru ji and Indira ji dining at their establishment. #JanaAashirwadaYatre #BengaluruNammaHemme pic.twitter.com/pTMVypZQ7f — Congress (@INCIndia) April 8, 2018 × Gandhi, along with other leaders, stopped at Koshys for a quick traditional lunch and was spotted indulging in post-lunch kulfis at a local joint. Congress President Rahul Gandhi stops by for a post-lunch kulfi in Bengaluru. #JanaAashirwadaYatre #BengaluruNammaHemme pic.twitter.com/KUZyMIGZOF — Congress (@INCIndia) April 8, 2018 × (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: Rahul Gandhi takes a metro ride, browses books in Bengaluru

<p>The Bhartiya Janata Party has announced the first list of candidates for Karnataka elections.</p>

<p>The list includes the 72 candidates.</p>

<p>Chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa will be contesting from the Shikaripura constituency.</p>

<p>Elections in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in&nbspa single phase.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BJP announces the first list of 72 candidates for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarnatakaElections2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarnatakaElections2018</a>. <a href="https://t.co/V19Gro7wzT">pic.twitter.com/V19Gro7wzT</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/983035569340067842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp</p>


Chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa will be contesting from the Shikaripura constituency

The Bhartiya Janata Party has announced the first list of candidates for Karnataka elections. The list includes the 72 candidates. Chief ministerial candidate BS Yeddyurappa will be contesting from the Shikaripura constituency. Elections in Karnataka will be held on May 12 in&nbspa single phase. BJP announces the first list of 72 candidates for #KarnatakaElections2018. pic.twitter.com/V19Gro7wzT — ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018 ×

BJP announces first list of candidates for Karnataka elections

<p>BJP party member&nbsp;in the poll-bound state Karnataka has lodged a complaint&nbsp;with Election Commission against Jignesh Mewani.</p>

<p>The complaint has been filed over Mevani's speech in Chitradurga, where&nbsp;he urged youth to disrupt PM Modi's campaign program by hurling chairs in his campaign program.&nbsp;</p>

<p>While addressing in Karnataka's Chitradurga, Mewani said "Biggest role of Karnataka's youth should be to enter PM's campaign program in Bengaluru on 15th, hurl chairs in the air and disrupt it, then ask him what happened to 2 crore jobs? If he can't answer ask him to go to Himalayas".</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Jignesh Mevani says, 'Biggest role of Karnataka's youth should be to enter PM's campaign program in Bengaluru on 15th, hurl chairs in the air & disrupt it, then ask him what happened to 2 cr jobs? If he can't answer ask him to go to Himalayas' <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chitradurga?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chitradurga</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Karnataka?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Karnataka</a> <a href="https://t.co/3rykIfOFsp">pic.twitter.com/3rykIfOFsp</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/982290981348413441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


While addressing in Karnataka's Chitradurga, Mewani said 'Biggest role of Karnataka's youth should be to enter PM's campaign program in Bengaluru on 15th, hurl chairs in the air and disrupt it, then ask him what happened to 2 crore jobs? If he can't answer ask him to go to Himalayas'

BJP party member in the poll-bound state Karnataka has lodged a complaint with Election Commission against Jignesh Mewani. The complaint has been filed over Mevani's speech in Chitradurga, where he urged youth to disrupt PM Modi's campaign program by hurling chairs in his campaign program. While addressing in Karnataka's Chitradurga, Mewani said "Biggest role of Karnataka's youth should be to enter PM's campaign program in Bengaluru on 15th, hurl chairs in the air and disrupt it, then ask him what happened to 2 crore jobs? If he can't answer ask him to go to Himalayas". #WATCH: Jignesh Mevani says, 'Biggest role of Karnataka's youth should be to enter PM's campaign program in Bengaluru on 15th, hurl chairs in the air & disrupt it, then ask him what happened to 2 cr jobs? If he can't answer ask him to go to Himalayas' #Chitradurga #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/3rykIfOFsp — ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2018 ×

Jignesh Mewani asks Karnataka youth to hurl chair in PM's election campaign, BJP files complaint

<p>Following the seizure of lumpsum amounts of money, liquor, and gold, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that 1,156 flying squads and 1,255 static surveillance teams have been activated in poll-bound Karnataka.</p>

<p>In a detailed notice regarding the Model Code of Conduct violation and law and order enforcement in the state, Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar stated that flying squads and teams constituted for enforcing the Model Code of Conduct have cumulatively removed 12,537 wall writings, 17,690 posters and 7.711 banners from public property, and have lodged four cases under the Karnataka Open Places (provisions of disfigurement) Act, 1981.</p>

<p>On the other hand, 6,866 wall inscriptions, 7,949 posters, and 2.543 banners were removed from private places, the notice stated.</p>

<p>Furthermore, one FIR has been lodged for misusing government vehicles, one for violation of loudspeaker, two for an illegal meeting without permission, five for inducement and gratification to electors in the last 24 hours, the ECI said.</p>

<p>The notice comes after the election-governing body seized two vehicles carrying unauthorised cash from Ilkal to Bagalkot without any proper documents here.</p>

<p>The EC also seized Rs 50 lakh from a car, and later in the day, seized Rs 4 lakh from another car.</p>

<p>In the last 24 hours, the flying squads have seized Rs 9.91,700 in cash, 18.90 litres of liquor, eight silk sarees, and 2.46 kg of gold worth Rs 49, 17,000, while the excise department has seized 1.2 litres of liquor and booked 60 heinous cases, 42 cases for breach of license conditions and 148 cases under Section 15 (a) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, in the same time span.Meanwhile, 8,633 arms were deposited, one armed license was cancelled, 178 persons were bounded over and 253 non-bailable warrants were executed in the last 24 hours.</p>

<p>On a related note, the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will go to polls on May 12, and results will be out on May 15.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The EC seized Rs 50 lakh from a car and later in the day, Rs 4 lakh from another car

Following the seizure of lumpsum amounts of money, liquor, and gold, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that 1,156 flying squads and 1,255 static surveillance teams have been activated in poll-bound Karnataka. In a detailed notice regarding the Model Code of Conduct violation and law and order enforcement in the state, Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar stated that flying squads and teams constituted for enforcing the Model Code of Conduct have cumulatively removed 12,537 wall writings, 17,690 posters and 7.711 banners from public property, and have lodged four cases under the Karnataka Open Places (provisions of disfigurement) Act, 1981. On the other hand, 6,866 wall inscriptions, 7,949 posters, and 2.543 banners were removed from private places, the notice stated. Furthermore, one FIR has been lodged for misusing government vehicles, one for violation of loudspeaker, two for an illegal meeting without permission, five for inducement and gratification to electors in the last 24 hours, the ECI said. The notice comes after the election-governing body seized two vehicles carrying unauthorised cash from Ilkal to Bagalkot without any proper documents here. The EC also seized Rs 50 lakh from a car, and later in the day, seized Rs 4 lakh from another car. In the last 24 hours, the flying squads have seized Rs 9.91,700 in cash, 18.90 litres of liquor, eight silk sarees, and 2.46 kg of gold worth Rs 49, 17,000, while the excise department has seized 1.2 litres of liquor and booked 60 heinous cases, 42 cases for breach of license conditions and 148 cases under Section 15 (a) of the Karnataka Excise Act, 1965, in the same time span.Meanwhile, 8,633 arms were deposited, one armed license was cancelled, 178 persons were bounded over and 253 non-bailable warrants were executed in the last 24 hours. On a related note, the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will go to polls on May 12, and results will be out on May 15.

Karnataka elections: Election Commission activates flying squads, static surveillance teams

<p>The Tamil Nadu government has filed a contempt&nbsp;petition against the&nbsp;Centre in the ongoing Cauvery river water issue.</p>

<p>The Palaniswami-led government has been urging the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in order to find a solution to the dispute.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Supreme Court, in its verdict&nbsp;on the dispute, allotted an additional 14.75 TMC of river water to Karnataka and reduced Tamil Nadu's share from 192 TMC to 177.25 TMC.&nbsp;</p>

<p>States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala&nbsp;challenged the 2007 order of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) and refused to Cauvery of their need of water.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Tamil Nadu government will mention the matter of its recent contempt petition&nbsp;before the Supreme Court on Monday.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the central government has filed a clarification petition before the Supreme Court pleading to clarify whether it can make any changes in the composition of Cauvery Management Board (CMB). It has also asked for more time from the court to implement the court's verdict on the issue.</p>

<p>The AIADMK party members,&nbsp;on the other hand, have decided to observe fast across the state on April 3 with an aim to urge the government to form the management board.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TamilNadu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TamilNadu</a>: AIADMK cadre to observe fast across the state on April 3 to urge the central government to form a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CauveryManagementBoard?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CauveryManagementBoard</a>. They had earlier announced April 2 as the day to observe fast. <a href="https://t.co/wUGlQox2IK">pic.twitter.com/wUGlQox2IK</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979763457032708097?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK MP) announced in Parliament that he will commit suicide (on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CauveryIssue?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CauveryIssue</a>) but he did not do it, now I offer him this poison & rope to hang himself with, as he failed to do what he said: Pugalendhi, TTV Dhinakaran supporter in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chennai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chennai</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xm5tTuXaRl">pic.twitter.com/Xm5tTuXaRl</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979973761410662400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Tamil Nadu has been urging the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in order to find a solution to the ongoing Cauvery water dispute

The Tamil Nadu government has filed a contempt petition against the Centre in the ongoing Cauvery river water issue. The Palaniswami-led government has been urging the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in order to find a solution to the dispute. The Supreme Court, in its verdict on the dispute, allotted an additional 14.75 TMC of river water to Karnataka and reduced Tamil Nadu's share from 192 TMC to 177.25 TMC. States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala challenged the 2007 order of the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) and refused to Cauvery of their need of water. The Tamil Nadu government will mention the matter of its recent contempt petition before the Supreme Court on Monday. Meanwhile, the central government has filed a clarification petition before the Supreme Court pleading to clarify whether it can make any changes in the composition of Cauvery Management Board (CMB). It has also asked for more time from the court to implement the court's verdict on the issue. The AIADMK party members, on the other hand, have decided to observe fast across the state on April 3 with an aim to urge the government to form the management board. #TamilNadu: AIADMK cadre to observe fast across the state on April 3 to urge the central government to form a #CauveryManagementBoard. They had earlier announced April 2 as the day to observe fast. pic.twitter.com/wUGlQox2IK — ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2018 × Navaneethakrishnan (AIADMK MP) announced in Parliament that he will commit suicide (on #CauveryIssue) but he did not do it, now I offer him this poison & rope to hang himself with, as he failed to do what he said: Pugalendhi, TTV Dhinakaran supporter in #Chennai pic.twitter.com/Xm5tTuXaRl — ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2018 ×

Cauvery issue: Tamil Nadu government files contempt petition against Centre

<p>Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today said he will not be contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.</p>

<p>The Janata Dal(Secular) president also indicated that&nbsphis grandson Prajwal Revanna may contest in his place from&nbspHassan&nbspas no other senior leader&nbspof the party was willing to take it up.</p>

<p>"I have decided not to contest for parliament&nbsp(election), I have asked all leaders from our district if they would like to contest for parliament. They will be given first preference," Gowda told reporters in Hassan.</p>

<p>Pointing out that several party leaders have expressed their unwillingness, he said: "What should I do, I have completed 85 years (age)."</p>

<p>"My honest opinion is that I want to send Prajwal Revanna to parliament, but people will decide."</p>

<p>"Prajwal is educated and has the capability, but some?times he easily gets upset, it is common..," he added.</p>

<p>Prajwal, son of Gowda's elder son and senior JD(S) leader H D Revanna, who was until recently involved in party&nbspactivities as a worker in Hassan district, the family's home&nbspturf, was in November appointed state general secretary.</p>

<p>The appointment was then seen as a push to the political aspirations of Prajwal, who has been openly&nbspdemanding a party ticket for the May 12 assembly elections.</p>

<p>Gowda, however, has repeatedly maintained that only&nbsptwo members from his family - Revanna and Kumaraswamy - will&nbspbe contesting the polls, in an attempt to wipe out the&nbsp"father-sons party" label attached to the JD(S).</p>

<p>Despite Kumaraswamy, JDS state chief and Gowda's other son, also reiterating the stand on the number of family members contesting on the party's ticket, mixed signals are? being sent out from within the family.</p>

<p>Until recently, Anita, Kumaraswamy's wife, had also reportedly expressed her interest in contesting from&nbspChannapatna, from where she lost the last time, if the party&nbspleadership agrees to it.</p>


Gowda has repeatedly maintained that only two members from his family - Revanna and Kumaraswamy - will be contesting the polls

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda today said he will not be contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The Janata Dal(Secular) president also indicated that&nbsphis grandson Prajwal Revanna may contest in his place from&nbspHassan&nbspas no other senior leader&nbspof the party was willing to take it up. "I have decided not to contest for parliament (election), I have asked all leaders from our district if they would like to contest for parliament. They will be given first preference," Gowda told reporters in Hassan. Pointing out that several party leaders have expressed their unwillingness, he said: "What should I do, I have completed 85 years (age)." "My honest opinion is that I want to send Prajwal Revanna to parliament, but people will decide." "Prajwal is educated and has the capability, but some?times he easily gets upset, it is common..," he added. Prajwal, son of Gowda's elder son and senior JD(S) leader H D Revanna, who was until recently involved in party&nbspactivities as a worker in Hassan district, the family's home&nbspturf, was in November appointed state general secretary. The appointment was then seen as a push to the political aspirations of Prajwal, who has been openly&nbspdemanding a party ticket for the May 12 assembly elections. Gowda, however, has repeatedly maintained that only&nbsptwo members from his family - Revanna and Kumaraswamy - will&nbspbe contesting the polls, in an attempt to wipe out the "father-sons party" label attached to the JD(S). Despite Kumaraswamy, JDS state chief and Gowda's other son, also reiterating the stand on the number of family members contesting on the party's ticket, mixed signals are? being sent out from within the family. Until recently, Anita, Kumaraswamy's wife, had also reportedly expressed her interest in contesting from&nbspChannapatna, from where she lost the last time, if the party&nbspleadership agrees to it.

Deve Gowda not to contest next Lok Sabha polls, grandson Prajwal Revanna may contest

<p>Responding to his&nbsp;recent blooper, BJP President Amit Shah said that <a href="http://cmsuat.wionews.com/india-news/amit-shahs-blooper-calls-yeddyurappa-government-most-corrupt-126623">he would have made a mistake but the people of Karnataka would not</a>.</p>

<p>He said, " In a slip of tongue, I said that Yeddyurappa government is corrupt instead of Siddaramaiah's, and the entire Congress party started to rejoice. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that I would have made a mistake but the people of Karnataka will not".</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">In a slip of tongue, I said that Yeddyurappa govt is corrupt instead of Siddaramaiah's, & the entire Congress party started to rejoice. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi, that I might have made a mistake but the people of Karnataka will not: Amit Shah in Mysuru. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KarnatakaElection2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KarnatakaElection2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/IvYhbe8Yt3">pic.twitter.com/IvYhbe8Yt3</a></p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/979620275070349312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>In a major social blunder, Amit Shah had&nbsp;called the government led by BJP leader and former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa as the "most corrupt government".</p>

<p>His slip of tongue had invited inviting sarcastic comments from Congress supporters.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Now that the BJP IT cell has announced Karnataka elections, time for a sneak preview of our top secret campaign video!<br />
<br />
Gifted to us by the BJP President, our campaign in Karnataka is off to a fabulous start. He says Yeddyurappa ran the most corrupt Govt ever...<br />
<br />
True. <a href="https://t.co/UYqGDZuKyR">pic.twitter.com/UYqGDZuKyR</a></p>
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/978568393266675712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ShahOfLies?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ShahOfLies</a> finally speaks truth. Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AmitShah</a> <a href="https://t.co/WczQdUfw5U">pic.twitter.com/WczQdUfw5U</a></p>
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) <a href="https://twitter.com/siddaramaiah/status/978545908072763393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Amit Shah was addressing a rally in Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections.&nbsp;</p>


Responding to his recent blooper, BJP President Amit Shah said that he would have made a mistake but the people of Karnataka would not.

Responding to his recent blooper, BJP President Amit Shah said that he would have made a mistake but the people of Karnataka would not. He said, " In a slip of tongue, I said that Yeddyurappa government is corrupt instead of Siddaramaiah's, and the entire Congress party started to rejoice. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that I would have made a mistake but the people of Karnataka will not". In a slip of tongue, I said that Yeddyurappa govt is corrupt instead of Siddaramaiah's, & the entire Congress party started to rejoice. I want to tell Rahul Gandhi, that I might have made a mistake but the people of Karnataka will not: Amit Shah in Mysuru. #KarnatakaElection2018 pic.twitter.com/IvYhbe8Yt3 — ANI (@ANI) March 30, 2018 × In a major social blunder, Amit Shah had called the government led by BJP leader and former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa as the "most corrupt government". His slip of tongue had invited inviting sarcastic comments from Congress supporters. Now that the BJP IT cell has announced Karnataka elections, time for a sneak preview of our top secret campaign video! Gifted to us by the BJP President, our campaign in Karnataka is off to a fabulous start. He says Yeddyurappa ran the most corrupt Govt ever... True. pic.twitter.com/UYqGDZuKyR — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) March 27, 2018 × The #ShahOfLies finally speaks truth. Thank you @AmitShah pic.twitter.com/WczQdUfw5U — Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) March 27, 2018 × Amit Shah was addressing a rally in Karnataka ahead of the assembly elections.

I might have made mistake, but people of Karnataka will not: Amit Shah on recent blooper

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess.

The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them. 

After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position.
 
Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence. 

New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice. 

But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India. 

Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent. 

The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices.
 
Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely. 

Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism.
 
With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies. 

For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre.

The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion.

It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism.

Though the context was different the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create. 

Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger.

Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess. The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them. After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position. Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence. New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice. But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India. Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent. The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices. Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely. Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism. With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies. For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre. The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion. It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism. Though the context was different the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create. Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger.

Opinion: Lingayat row - Only Goddess rides the Tiger

<p>Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess.</p>

<p>The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them.</p>

<p>After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position.<br />
&nbsp<br />
Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence.</p>

<p>New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice.</p>

<p>But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India.</p>

<p>Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent.</p>

<p>The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices.<br />
&nbsp<br />
Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely.</p>

<p>Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism.<br />
&nbsp<br />
With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies.</p>

<p>For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre.</p>

<p>The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion.</p>

<p>It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism.</p>

<p>Though the context was different but the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka, but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create.</p>

<p>Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>


Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections.

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess. The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them. After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position. Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence. New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice. But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India. Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent. The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices. Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely. Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism. With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies. For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre. The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion. It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism. Though the context was different but the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka, but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create. Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

<p>Rahul Gandhi got off the stage and posed for a selfie with a student on Saturday.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Rahul Gandhi gets off the stage, poses for a selfie with a student after she said, &#39;Sir my request is I want to take a selfie with you!&#39; The Congress President is at an interaction with students at Maharani&#39;s Arts College for Women in Mysuru <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Karnataka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Karnataka</a> <a href="https://t.co/SeghSlyywd">pic.twitter.com/SeghSlyywd</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977415458138808320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>The Gandhi scion was addressing the students of Maharani&#39;s Arts College for Women in Mysuru in Karnataka when a &nbsp;student asked &#39;&#39;Sir my request is I want to take a selfie with you&#39;&#39;. Rahul Gandhi got off the stage and obliged to the student&#39;s request.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier addressing the students, Gandhi tore into Modi led BJP government on Goods and Service Tax (GST) and demonetisation.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I think <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Demonetisation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Demonetisation</a> was a mistake &amp; shouldn&#39;t have been done. Demonetisation &amp; GST were massive damage to Indian economy &amp; job creation. I have a problem with the way demonetisation was carried out, RBI Guv, Chief Economic Advisor, Finance Minister,none of them knew of it: RG <a href="https://t.co/QJd6p8qoyh">pic.twitter.com/QJd6p8qoyh</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977409794754695168?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&#39;&#39;I think demonetisation was a mistake and shouldn&#39;t have been done. Demonetisation and GST were massive damage to Indian economy and job creation, he said and added &#39;&#39;I have a problem with the way demonetisation was carried out, RBI Guv, Chief Economic Advisor, Finance Minister, none of them knew of it,&#39;&#39; he said.</p>

<p>Gandhi also said that India was growing pretty decently as an economy, but not creating jobs.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nirav Modi took Rs 22,000 crore of bank money. Can you imagine how many businesses could have been built by young women like you if we had given Rs 22,000 cr to you: Congress President Rahul Gandhi at Maharani&#39;s Arts College for Women in Mysuru <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Karnataka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Karnataka</a> <a href="https://t.co/4aIaOTnZFr">pic.twitter.com/4aIaOTnZFr</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977408387976712192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>&#39;&#39;We are growing pretty decently as an economy but we are not creating jobs, it is because those who have skills don&#39;t have access to finance and support. The problem is a huge amount of money goes to 15-20 people,&#39;&#39; he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Raking up yet again PNB&#39;s Rs 13,000 crore scame involving fugutive diamond czar, he said Nirav Modi took Rs 22,000 crore of bank money. &#39;&#39;Can you imagine how many businesses could have been built by young women like you if we had given Rs 22,000 cr to you,&#39;&#39; he asked the students.&nbsp;</p>


Addressing the students, Gandhi tore into Modi led BJP government on Goods and Service Tax (GST) and demonetisation.

Rahul Gandhi got off the stage and posed for a selfie with a student on Saturday. #WATCH: Rahul Gandhi gets off the stage, poses for a selfie with a student after she said, 'Sir my request is I want to take a selfie with you!' The Congress President is at an interaction with students at Maharani's Arts College for Women in Mysuru #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/SeghSlyywd — ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2018 × The Gandhi scion was addressing the students of Maharani's Arts College for Women in Mysuru in Karnataka when a student asked ''Sir my request is I want to take a selfie with you''. Rahul Gandhi got off the stage and obliged to the student's request. Earlier addressing the students, Gandhi tore into Modi led BJP government on Goods and Service Tax (GST) and demonetisation. I think #Demonetisation was a mistake & shouldn't have been done. Demonetisation & GST were massive damage to Indian economy & job creation. I have a problem with the way demonetisation was carried out, RBI Guv, Chief Economic Advisor, Finance Minister,none of them knew of it: RG pic.twitter.com/QJd6p8qoyh — ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2018 × ''I think demonetisation was a mistake and shouldn't have been done. Demonetisation and GST were massive damage to Indian economy and job creation, he said and added ''I have a problem with the way demonetisation was carried out, RBI Guv, Chief Economic Advisor, Finance Minister, none of them knew of it,'' he said. Gandhi also said that India was growing pretty decently as an economy, but not creating jobs. Nirav Modi took Rs 22,000 crore of bank money. Can you imagine how many businesses could have been built by young women like you if we had given Rs 22,000 cr to you: Congress President Rahul Gandhi at Maharani's Arts College for Women in Mysuru #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/4aIaOTnZFr — ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2018 × ''We are growing pretty decently as an economy but we are not creating jobs, it is because those who have skills don't have access to finance and support. The problem is a huge amount of money goes to 15-20 people,'' he added. Raking up yet again PNB's Rs 13,000 crore scame involving fugutive diamond czar, he said Nirav Modi took Rs 22,000 crore of bank money. ''Can you imagine how many businesses could have been built by young women like you if we had given Rs 22,000 cr to you,'' he asked the students.

Watch: Rahul Gandhi gets off stage, poses for selfie with student 

<p>Congress President Rahul Gandhi visited Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru&nbsp;on Saturday.&nbsp;Gandhi was accompanied by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah during the temple visit.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Congress president Rahul Gandhi, along with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Karnataka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Karnataka</a> Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, visited Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysuru <a href="https://t.co/TbEk8N2Jkx">pic.twitter.com/TbEk8N2Jkx</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/977397169379561472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-visits-dargah-ahead-of-karnataka-polls-32584" target="_blank">Rahul Gandhi visits dargah ahead of Karnataka polls</a></p>

<p>During the Gujarat assembly elections, Gandhi visited about 25&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rahul-gandhi-to-continue-temple-run-in-karnataka-30075" target="_blank">temples in the state</a>, inviting criticism of &quot;soft Hindutva&quot; from the opposition.&nbsp;</p>

<p>With the Karnataka state going to polls in April-May, the Congress President is expected to continue with his visit to several religious places.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-crowd-shouts-modi-modi-as-rahul-gandhi-exits-gujarat-temple-26361" target="_blank">Watch: Crowd shouts &#39;Modi Modi&#39; as Rahul Gandhi exits Gujarat temple</a></p>

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Gandhi was accompanied by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah

Congress President Rahul Gandhi visited Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru on Saturday. Gandhi was accompanied by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah during the temple visit. Congress president Rahul Gandhi, along with #Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, visited Chamundeshwari Temple in Mysuru pic.twitter.com/TbEk8N2Jkx — ANI (@ANI) March 24, 2018 × Also read: Rahul Gandhi visits dargah ahead of Karnataka polls During the Gujarat assembly elections, Gandhi visited about 25 temples in the state, inviting criticism of "soft Hindutva" from the opposition. With the Karnataka state going to polls in April-May, the Congress President is expected to continue with his visit to several religious places. Also read: Watch: Crowd shouts 'Modi Modi' as Rahul Gandhi exits Gujarat temple

On his visit to Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi visits Chamundeshwari temple in Mysuru

<p>Seen as synonymous in public discussions until recent times, the Veerashaivas and Lingayats found formal self-organisation in the early 20th century as the All-India Veerashaiva Mahasabha. Viewing themselves as Hindus, this body asked, in subsequent decades, that Veerashaivism is considered a separate religion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As the clamour for separate religious identity grows, the differences between the Lingayats and Veershaivas are becoming clearer. There are distinct differences between their practices, faith, meaning, culture and way of life.</p>

<p><strong>Who are Lingayats</strong></p>

<p>Though Lingayats worship Shiva, they say the concept of &lsquo;Ishta Linga&rsquo; (personal god) and rules of conduct prescribed by Basaveshwara cannot be equated to the Hindu way of life. On the other hand, those opposed to the re-categorisation, including sections in the community, say the rebellion was reformist, like the Bhakti movement, and not aimed at breaking away from the Hindu fold.</p>

<p><strong>Who are Veerashaivas&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>Veerashaivas are worshippers of Lord Shiva. They precede Basavanna, the founder of Lingayatism. Veerashaivas do not worship any God other than Shiva and can be found spread across India. Pashupatha Shaiva, Soma Shaiva, Dakshina Shaiva, Kala Mukha Shaiva, Lakula Shaiva, Yavala Shaiva, Samanya Shaiva, Mishra Shaiva, Shuddha Shaiva, Adi Shaiva, Anu Shaiva, Avantara Shaiva are some of the sects within Shaivism. Veerashaiva is one such sect and people from the community are found largely in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Those who consume non-vegetarian food call themselves Kshatriya Shaiva while those who are vegetarians call themselves Brahmana Shaiva. All sects of the Veerashaiva follow the &#39;Pancha Peeta&#39;, five mutts. Kashi mutt, Rameshwaram Mutt, Ujjaini Mutt, Rambhapura Mutt and Srishaila Mutt are the core holy places for the community.</p>


While Lingayats argue that their religious practices are not similar to Veerashaivas or Hindus, the Veerashaiva community has called Lingayatism a part of Hindutva.

Seen as synonymous in public discussions until recent times, the Veerashaivas and Lingayats found formal self-organisation in the early 20th century as the All-India Veerashaiva Mahasabha. Viewing themselves as Hindus, this body asked, in subsequent decades, that Veerashaivism is considered a separate religion. As the clamour for separate religious identity grows, the differences between the Lingayats and Veershaivas are becoming clearer. There are distinct differences between their practices, faith, meaning, culture and way of life. Who are Lingayats Though Lingayats worship Shiva, they say the concept of ‘Ishta Linga’ (personal god) and rules of conduct prescribed by Basaveshwara cannot be equated to the Hindu way of life. On the other hand, those opposed to the re-categorisation, including sections in the community, say the rebellion was reformist, like the Bhakti movement, and not aimed at breaking away from the Hindu fold. Who are Veerashaivas Veerashaivas are worshippers of Lord Shiva. They precede Basavanna, the founder of Lingayatism. Veerashaivas do not worship any God other than Shiva and can be found spread across India. Pashupatha Shaiva, Soma Shaiva, Dakshina Shaiva, Kala Mukha Shaiva, Lakula Shaiva, Yavala Shaiva, Samanya Shaiva, Mishra Shaiva, Shuddha Shaiva, Adi Shaiva, Anu Shaiva, Avantara Shaiva are some of the sects within Shaivism. Veerashaiva is one such sect and people from the community are found largely in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Those who consume non-vegetarian food call themselves Kshatriya Shaiva while those who are vegetarians call themselves Brahmana Shaiva. All sects of the Veerashaiva follow the 'Pancha Peeta', five mutts. Kashi mutt, Rameshwaram Mutt, Ujjaini Mutt, Rambhapura Mutt and Srishaila Mutt are the core holy places for the community.

Difference between Veerashaivas and Lingayats

<p>Amid the Lingayat storm brewing in Karnataka, the BJP is trying to corner the ruling Congress government for clearing separate religion status for the community.<br />
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But documents accessed by WION show that the BJP could face trouble for raising a similar demand way back in 2013.&nbsp;</p>

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<p>The letter, signed by BS Yeddyurappa, asking for a separate Lingayat religion. (WION Web Team)</p>
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<p>The demand was sent to the UPA government at the Centre by many Karnataka leaders cutting across party lines, including BS Yeddyurappa, the tallest BJP leader in the state who belongs to the Lingayat community.<br />
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Yeddyurappa had then broken away from the BJP to form its own party.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
However, Union minister Ananth Kumar said the Congress government had rejected the demand made in 2013. &quot;Several demands were made in the past and even the Maharashtra government had also sought a separate religion tag for Veerashiva-Lingayat sect. But the then UPA government in 2013 rejected it,&quot; the parliamentary affairs minister told reporters said.<br />
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Attacking the Siddaramaiah government, Kumar said, &quot;Siddaramaiah is adopting Britisher Robert Clive&#39;s divide and rule strategy ahead of assembly polls. The Congress is doing vote-bank politics. This will not benefit them. It will boomerang.&quot;<br />
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Another Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal claimed that the Congress government in the state has given separate religion status to &quot;stop Yeddyurappa from becoming the chief minister&quot;.<br />
&nbsp;<br />
The Karnataka Cabinet recently decided to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority status for the numerically strong Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community.<br />
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The decision is expected to have an impact on the upcoming elections as the Lingayat community accounts for 17 per cent of the state&#39;s population.</p>

<p>Both Lingayats and Veerashivas are devotees of Lord Shiva, but there are sections within each community that believe they belong to a different religion.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Lingayat sect follows the 12th-century poet and social reformer Basavanna or Basava, who defied the caste system and Vedic rituals in Hinduism.</p>


But documents accessed by WION show that the BJP could face trouble for raising a similar demand way back in 2013.

Amid the Lingayat storm brewing in Karnataka, the BJP is trying to corner the ruling Congress government for clearing separate religion status for the community. But documents accessed by WION show that the BJP could face trouble for raising a similar demand way back in 2013. The letter, signed by BS Yeddyurappa, asking for a separate Lingayat religion. (WION Web Team) × The demand was sent to the UPA government at the Centre by many Karnataka leaders cutting across party lines, including BS Yeddyurappa, the tallest BJP leader in the state who belongs to the Lingayat community. Yeddyurappa had then broken away from the BJP to form its own party. However, Union minister Ananth Kumar said the Congress government had rejected the demand made in 2013. "Several demands were made in the past and even the Maharashtra government had also sought a separate religion tag for Veerashiva-Lingayat sect. But the then UPA government in 2013 rejected it," the parliamentary affairs minister told reporters said. Attacking the Siddaramaiah government, Kumar said, "Siddaramaiah is adopting Britisher Robert Clive's divide and rule strategy ahead of assembly polls. The Congress is doing vote-bank politics. This will not benefit them. It will boomerang." Another Union minister Arjun Ram Meghwal claimed that the Congress government in the state has given separate religion status to "stop Yeddyurappa from becoming the chief minister". The Karnataka Cabinet recently decided to recommend to the Centre grant of religious minority status for the numerically strong Lingayat and Veerashaiva Lingayat community. The decision is expected to have an impact on the upcoming elections as the Lingayat community accounts for 17 per cent of the state's population. Both Lingayats and Veerashivas are devotees of Lord Shiva, but there are sections within each community that believe they belong to a different religion. The Lingayat sect follows the 12th-century poet and social reformer Basavanna or Basava, who defied the caste system and Vedic rituals in Hinduism.

Role reversal: In the past the UPA did not support Lingayat demand, BJP's Yeddyurappa did

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