1. Naidu Flies in as HDK Cancels Trip to Delhi
N Chandrababu Naidu, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief, flew into Bengaluru late on Tuesday evening and discussed post-results strategies with former Prime Minister and JD(S) supremo HD Deve Gowda and chief minister HD Kumaraswamy,.
Sources say Naidu, in a closed-door meeting with the JD(S) patriarch and his chief minister son, reportedly discussed future plans of the grand alliance and how the Karnataka model needed to be emulated in New Delhi in the event of exit polls being way off the mark. Exit polls predict a comfortable majority for the incumbent BJP-led NDA. Naidu and the Gowdas also discussed options in case of a fractured verdict.
Incidentally, Kumaraswamy skipped a crucial meeting of opposition leaders in New Delhi on Tuesday. The meeting, marshalled by Naidu, was called to discuss post-results strategy and issues pertaining to Electronic Voting Machines (EVM)
(Source: The Times of India)
2. Karnataka Congress Leader Slams KPCC Prez, Hints at Quitting Party
Following the Congress’ low score in the exit polls, senior Congress leader Roshan Baig on Monday, 20 May, dropped hints of quitting the party and appealed to Muslims to compromise with the situation if NDA returns to power.
"Well, if NDA is coming back to power, I humbly appeal to Muslim brothers to learn to compromise with the situation," he told a section of media here.
Asked if that means Muslims should join hands with BJP, Baig said if need arises, they must as the Congress had given just one ticket to a Muslim leader in Karnataka.
“If needs be, (Muslims) must join hands. We must not remain loyal to one party. What happened to Muslims in Karnataka? The Congress gave just one seat,” said Roshan Baig
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3. Karnataka PU Dept Says no to Different Cut-off Marks for Boys and Girls
The Karnataka Pre-University Education Department has stated that it will ask PU colleges in the state to do away with differential cut-off marks for boys and girls.
A notice issued by the PU Education Department of the state government on Monday, 20 May stated that students should be admitted as per merit. "In the guidelines issued to PU colleges for the year 2019-20, the seat matrix suggested that seats for girls and boys should be equal at 50%. But in the coming days, the department will issue a notice stating that seats should be given based on merit," the notice said.
The notice comes days after it emerged that pre-university colleges in Bengaluru had set a higher cut-off mark for girls seeking admission. The colleges had cited the guidelines issued by the PU Education Department ahead of the 2019-20 academic year.
(Source: The News Minute)
4. In Respite for Govt, BJP Suspends Operation Lotus
The JD(S)- Congress government in Karnataka can heave a sigh of relief as the BJP unit here has temporarily suspended its Operation Lotus aimed at toppling the coalition government.
BJP sources said the party leadership in Delhi asked state BJP chief BS Yeddyuyrappa to wait for the outcome of the bid to topple the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. Boosted by favourable exit polls predictions, Yeddyurappa was preparing the ground to make a fresh bid to topple the coalition government in Karnataka. He’s been reportedly forced to suspend the operation by leaders in New Delhi.
According to party insiders, around 10 legislators — seven from Congress and three from JD(S) — were ready to jump ship soon after the poll results on May
(Source: The Times of India)
5. ‘Sexually Abused Me With a Promise of Marriage’: Techie
A city-based software engineer has accused a Chennai-based man of sexually using her after promising marriage and later reneged on his word.
In her complaint to the Basavanagudi police, the woman said accused Arun (32) met her in the city on 17 March and 31 March. He booked a room in Sanman Lodge in Basavanagudi to discuss about their marriage, but raped the woman despite her opposition.
Arun promised to marry her after the rape. Police booked him under IPC 376 (rape) and 420 (cheating) and sought the help of Chennai police to catch Arun. The woman said in her complaint that she met Arun while going to Chennai for an interview. She later became friends with him and frequently spoke on the phone and messaged. She accepted when Arun proposed to marry her in January.
(Source: Deccan Herald)
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