Maya Sharma

Not Roads, Water; Polls About Hindu-Muslim: Karnataka BJP Lawmaker

Karnataka News | Written by Maya Sharma | Thursday April 19, 2018

Sanjay Patil, a BJP lawmaker in Karnataka, has provoked outrage with his comment that the May 12 state election is "not about roads and drinking water but about Hindus vs Muslims". A video of the comments by legislator Sanjay Patil is in wide circulation in the acrimonious lead-up to the assembly polls.

"Voters Accepted Them": Siddaramaiah Explains Parent-Child Contestants

Assembly Karnataka | Reported by Maya Sharma, Edited by Anindita Sanyal | Wednesday April 18, 2018

Family relations between candidates are not important for voters, it is more a matter of "acceptance" Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah told NDTV today. Mr Siddaramaiah's party, the Congress, has been facing renewed opposition accusations of dynastic politics after it announced a list of 218 candidates on Sunday.

Contesting From 'Risky' Seat In Mysuru, Siddaramaiah Hints At Plan B

Assembly Karnataka | Reported by Maya Sharma | Wednesday April 18, 2018

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah -- whose decision to contest from Chamundeshwari seat is seen by many as a risky move -- today said he still has an "option", rekindling hopes of supporters that he may yet contest from a second seat. The Chief Minister's safe seat Varuna is going to his son Yathindra, a doctor making his debut in politics.

Why Siddaramaiah Is Contesting From Chamundeshwari

Karnataka News | Reported by Maya Sharma, Edited by Anindita Sanyal | Tuesday April 17, 2018

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's choice of seat for the coming elections in May -- Chamundeshwari, instead of the current Varuna or the much-speculated Badami -- is seen as sending a message of confidence. Chamundeshwari used to be the home turf of Mr Siddaramaiah, who won it five times since 1983. The seat is currently held by GT Devegowda ...

BJP Leader Weeps At Not Making Candidates' List, Meltdown On Camera

Karnataka News | Reported by Maya Sharma, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Tuesday April 17, 2018

In Karnataka, it is the season of heartbreaks for many politicians as parties pick their candidates. One BJP politician breaks down and sobs in the middle of his press conference in a video clip that is being widely shared on social media. Shashil G Namoshi, a former lawmaker, was reduced to tears when he couldn't find his name on the BJP's second ...

BJP Picks Corruption-Charged Reddy Brother In Karnataka, Says "Compromise"

India News | Reported by Sreenivasan Jain, Maya Sharma, Edited by Anindita Sanyal | Tuesday April 17, 2018

The BJP second list of 82 names released this evening contained a surprise candidate -- Gali Somashekhara Reddy fielded from Bellary City -- which drew immediate jeers from the Congress. Fifty-two-year-old G Somashekhara Reddy is the youngest of Reddy brothers, mining barons for whom the iron ore-rich district of Bellary was home turf. State BJP sp...

Karnataka Assembly Elections 2018: Congress Has 5 Parent-Child Combos Contesting

India News | Written by Maya Sharma | Tuesday April 17, 2018

Politics in the country is often about family bonding and the Congress candidates' list for Karnataka has reiterated that. The Congress list, announced on Sunday evening, had no fewer than 5 parent-child pairs among the 218 candidates who would seek election on May 12.

"Pushpa, I Hate Tears": Congress Man's Lament On Missing Karnataka Ticket

India News | Reported by Maya Sharma, Edited by Shylaja Varma | Tuesday April 17, 2018

Hours after the Congress released its first list of candidates for next month's Karnataka elections, many from within the party are raising questions on the ticket distribution. Among them is party loyalist Brijesh Kalappa, who was hoping for a ticket from Madikeri. The senior advocate from Karnataka, who is often seen on prime time television deba...

Congress Names Candidates For Karnataka Polls, Siddaramaiah Changes His Seat

India News | Reported by Maya Sharma, Edited by Shylaja Varma | Monday April 16, 2018

The Congress today released its first list of 218 candidates in the high-stakes elections in Karnataka next month. As expected, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who has been contesting from the Varuna constituency since 2008, will contest from Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru this elections. The chief minister was in Delhi this weekend to finalise ...

Not A Silly Political Front, Says KCR After Meeting Ex-PM Deve Gowda

India News | Written by Maya Sharma | Friday April 13, 2018

Furthering his attempts to put together a non-Congress non-BJP front ahead of the 2019 elections, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao today met former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda in Bengaluru.

"Planted by Desperate Congress": BJP On Rumours Of SM Krishna Quitting

Karnataka News | Reported by Maya Sharma, Edited by Subrat Nanda | Wednesday April 11, 2018

Two days after the BJP released its first list of candidates for the Karnataka assembly elections next month, political circles in the state were awash with rumours of former Congress veteran SM Krishna returning to his old party.

Selfies, Metro Ride, Book Shopping: Rahul Gandhi's Day Out In Bengaluru

India News | Written by Maya Sharma | Sunday April 8, 2018

Bengaluru city has 28 assembly constituencies - a good number of seats in the total of 224 that will elect their MLAs in next month's Karnataka Assembly. So little wonder that Congress president Rahul Gandhi not just decided to spend a day in the city but also pulled out all the stops to make his presence felt.

Ahead Of Karnataka Elections, Parties Warned On Poll Code Violation

Karnataka News | Written by Maya Sharma | Saturday April 7, 2018

As Karnataka goes to polls on May 12, Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat and his team visited the state to oversee the preparations for the Assembly elections. They met the representatives of political parties who raised concerns ranging from allegedly partisan officials to the complicated procedure to get permission for rallies and loudspeakers.

In Poll-Bound Karnataka, Competitive Politics By Congress, BJP Over Lingayats

Karnataka News | Written by Maya Sharma | Thursday April 5, 2018

In the Karnataka election campaign, the issue of whether Lingayats should be considered members of a separate religion remains a central issue. And top bosses of the Congress and the BJP have been visiting Lingayat mutts in the state.

"Won't Allow Divide": Amit Shah's Telling Comment On Lingayat Proposal

Karnataka News | Reported by Maya Sharma, Nehal Kidwai, Edited by Deepshikha Ghosh | Wednesday April 4, 2018

A politically loaded proposal by Karnataka's Congress government to grant separate religion status to Lingayats may not be approved by the centre, BJP chief Amit Shah indicated as he addressed a gathering of Veerashaiva seers yesterday. "We will not allow the division of the Veerashaiva-Lingayat communities," Amit Shah said in Bagalkote, where he w...