Former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and JD(S) state unit President C M Ibrahim at an event in Mysuru.
| Photo Credit: M A Sriram
1. JD(S) tries to woo back Muslims, appeals for smart voting by community
The Janata Dal (Secular), which has been banking heavily on the Vokkaliga votes in Old Mysuru region, is expecting a boost to its vote share from the Muslim community in the 2023 Karnataka Assembly elections, scheduled on May 10.
Muslims constitute about 14% of the total electorate, and their turnout in elections is estimated to be more than 80%.
Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy has appealed to Muslim voters on multiple occasions to vote smartly for JD(S) where the party is strong, and to vote for Congress where the Congress is strong.
2. NIA files supplementary chargesheet against two in Praveen Nettaru murder case
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary chargesheet on May 2 against two more accused in the murder of BJP Yuva Morcha member Praveen Nettaru, allegedly by cadres of the Popular Front of India (PFI), in Karnataka in 2022.
Both the accused — Thufail M.H. and Mahammad Jabir — have been charged under various sections of IPC and UAPA Act, 1967. With this, a total of 21 accused persons have been chargesheeted in the case.
3. INTERVIEW | ‘Double engine’ government is against spirit of Constitution, a threat: Sudhindra Kulkarni
Political activist Sudhindra Kulkarni, who once worked closely with former Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee and BJP stalwart L.K. Advani, is now a bitter critic of the BJP. He is touring Karnataka as part of efforts to unite the opposition ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
In an interview with The Hindu, he seeks to demolish the BJP’s main plank of ‘double engine government’ by arguing that it is opposed to the spirit of the Constitution that describes India as a Union of States.
4. BJP drops PM Modi’s mega road show in Bengaluru after public express concern
The BJP has dropped its plans to have a day-long roadshow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on May 6, following concerns expressed by Bengalureans over difficulties they will face due to traffic restrictions and possibility of evening rains.
The PM’s mega event, called ‘Namma Bengaluru, Namma Hemme’, has now been split across two days, May 6 and May 7. On Day 1, PM Modi will be travelling 8 km from New Tippasandra to Brigade Road. On Day 2, the road show will cover 25 km, starting from Brigade Millenium and ending at Sankey Road in Malleshwaram, the convener of BJP’s State Election Management Committee Shobha Karandlaje said at a press conference.
Mr. Modi will cover 18 constituencies in Bengaluru and the BJP is expecting a turnout of over 10 lakh people.