Former CM SM Krishna at Congress public meeting at Padmanabhanagar in Bangalore on Wednesday in support of Congress candidate Krishna Byregowda
According to a survey conducted by the National Election Watch, a city-based NGO, the number of millionaires contesting shot up by four times from a mere nine in 2004 General Elections.
The survey said among the national and major political parties, the average asset per candidate for the JD(S) was found to be highest at Rs 19.1 crore, followed by Rs 7.27 crore for Congress, Rs 5.67 crore for the BJP and Rs 0.98 crore for "the new and fledgling" national party BSP.
The NEW survey, also suggested the total number of candidates in the 23 April, 2009 elections in Karnataka with criminal records stood at more than ten per cent -- 27 against 222 at the all India level for Phase-1 polls scheduled for 16 April.
Most of the major political parties in Karnataka, the survey pointed out, had fielded candidates with criminal records with the top four being the JD-S at five out of 11, BJP six out of 14, INC four out of 15 and BSP three out of 12.
Most Sates have candidates with criminal background contesting the elections--Bihar is at the top with 51 candidates while Karnataka accounts for 14.9 per cent.
Congress candidate from Bangalore North CK Jaffer Shariff at election campaign in Jalahalli Bangalore on Wednesday.
Actor Shruti, BJP Candidate GS Basavaraju and MLA Suresh Gowda at election campaign at Gulur near Tumkur on Wednesday
Freedom fighter HS Doreswamy flags-off Voters Helpline Van launched by Karnataka Human Rights Council at Gandhi Statue in Bangalore on Wednesday
Voters Awareness Yatra launched by Bharath Ahinda Vedike at Gandhi Statue in Bangalore on Wednesday
BJP Candidate from Bangalore Central PC Mohan at election campaign near City Civil court in Bangalore on Wednesday
JDS Candidate from Bangalore Central Zameer Ahmed Khan at election campaign at Kamakshipalya in Bangalore on Wednesday.
BJP Candidate from Bangalore North DB Chandregowda launches Campaign in Auto at Sadashivanagar in Bangalore on Wednesday
BJP National President Rajnath Singh, CM BS Yaddyurappa and BJP candidate from Shimoga BY Raghavendra at a public meeting in Shimoga on Wednesday
27 nominees have criminal past
In all, 27 candidates with criminal records are in the fray for the first phase of elections in 17 Lok Sabha constituencies across Karnataka April 23, a report by National Election Watch (NEW) reveals.
Of the 27, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accounts for six, the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) for five and the Congress for four, with the remaining 12 from other parties and independents.
A total of 273 candidates are contesting in 17 constituencies from the state in the first phase and 156 in the remaining 11 constituencies in the second phase April 30. NEW is yet to come out with the list of criminal candidates in the second phase.
"All the three major political parties in Karnataka have fielded candidates with criminal records. Our report is based on the data compiled by the election commission," NEW convener Trilochan Sastry said here Tuesday. He released the report on "Criminal and financial background of candidates from Karnataka" for the first phase.
"Though the BJP and the Congress have fielded candidates in all the 17 seats and the JD-S in 15, we had details from the poll panel only on 14 candidates from the BJP, 15 from the Congress and 11 from the JD-S for compiling the report," Sastry, who is also the dean (academic) at the Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore (IIM-B), pointed out.
Three candidates each from the BJP and the JD-S and one from the Congress face serious criminal cases pertaining to promoting enmity between different groups, kidnapping, theft and false statement in connection with elections.
BJP candidate Ananthkumar Hegde, 40, contesting from Uttara Kannada, has four criminal cases, followed by JD-S nominee G. Chandranna from Kolar with three cases and former state chief minister and JD-S nominee H.D. Kumaraswamy from Bangalore rural seat with one case.
"Although six of 94 independents face criminal cases, we are focusing on candidates from major political parties as more often than not, their candidates win elections," said NEW coordinator Sridhar Pabbisetty.
The election watch is a nationwide campaign comprising over 1,200 non-government organisations and citizen-led organisations.
"We've no grudge against any political party or candidate. We are working on electoral reforms and trying to improve democracy and governance by sensitising voters," Sastry added.
Sindhia to support JD-S, Cong candidates BANGALORE: The Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) have received a much needed boost in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections with the former Minister P.G.R. Sindhia deciding to support the candidates of the two parties to counter the growth of the BJP in Karnataka.
Mr. Sindhia, former Finance minister, was expelled from the JD-S by the former PM H.D. Deve Gowda, now again decided to support the candidates of same party.
Therefore, one can conclude that Mr Sindhia is back to active politics and his decision to canvass for Congress and JD(S) candidates such as former Chief Ministers S. Bangarappa, H.D. Deve Gowda, H.D. Kumaraswamy, N. Dharam Singh and M. Mallikarjun Kharge has not surprised to any one. Because, he has been desperately looking to come out of the cage and activate his political career. The return of Mr. Sindhia has come as a good for the Congress and the JD(S).
However, both the Congress and JD-S are confused about Mr. Sindhias political plans. His plan to checkmating the BJP by supporting Opposition parties in the state has not sent cleared the thick air surrounded him after he was expelled from the BSP by UP CM Mayawati about a year ago.
The Maratha leader categorically said that he was in contact with the former Prime Minister and president of the JD(S), H.D. Deve Gowda, and the president of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, R.V. Deshpande.
Mr. Sindhia has kept away from politics for almost a year after the Bahujan Samaj Party, which he was heading, dumped him. Mr. Sindhia walked out of the JD(S) in early 2006 after Mr. Kumaraswamy aligned with the BJP to form a coalition government. In January 2007 he joined the BSP in the presence of party leader Mayawati only to be removed from his post during the May 2008 Assembly elections.
Mr. Sindhia was one of the key campaigners for the Janata Parivar in all the elections held between 1977 and 2007. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly for six terms in a row and a Minister for 15 years in the Ramakrishna Hedge, S.R. Bommai, H.D. Deve Gowda, J.H. Patel and the Dharam Singh Governments in Karnataka.
He was a strong critic of Sangh Parivar outfits and BJP. Had the Congress and the JD(S) entered into a pre-poll understanding at the State level, they could have, under the present circumstances, definitely won nearly 20, he claimed.
Forum to support HT Sangliana
BANGALORE: Retired IPS officer H T Sangliana, who is contesting in Bangalore Central Lok Sabha constituency, has received much needed support from an apolitical forum comprising of individuals led by retired Karnataka High Court Judge M F Saldanha.
Mr Saldanha told reporters on Wednesday that the Mr. Sangliana distinguishes himself as a man of principle and a human being, who has displayed courage at all times when he was in service and as a MP. Mr. Sangliana won the 2004 election on a BJP ticket.
Prof Rajeev Gowda of Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Bangalore, and retired Director General of Police F T R Colaso to decided to campaign in favor of Mr. Sangliana. The constituency goes to polls on April 23.
Under the banner of Dr H T Sangliana Campaign Committee, three leaders called upon the electorate to extend support for retired IPS officer. Dr Sangliana stands tall and clean and above all the pride of being an Indian, Mr Saldanha said.
Mr Colaso said the fact that Mr Sangliana was facing shortage of financial resources and the people should vote for him and help to fight the money-power and corruption that is rampant in all levels of administration in the State.
Prof Rajeev Gowda said Sangliana was symbolic of Bangalores cosmopolitan and composite culture.
Mr Saldanha said Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh should be given another term of five years in office to accelerate the growth of the economy. However, Mr Saldanha said they would restrict their preferences to Mr Saldanha in Bangalore and would not like air their views on other candidates.
Mr Saldanha said he was supporting Capt Gopinath, who is contesting as an independent candidate in Bangalore South, while Prof Rajeev Gowda said he would be supporting Congress candidate Krishna Byregowda in the constituency.
Mr. Sangliana joined the Congress after he supported the UPA government during voting on N-deal in the Parliament last year.
BANGALORE: The BJP National President Rajanath Singh on Wednesday charged that the Congress-led UPA was running a hate campaign against the BJP and its leadership to divert public attention from real issues confronting people such as price-rise, terrorism, recession, unemployment and development.
Addressing a press conference in Bangalore, Mr. Singh who arrived in here to campaign for the party, referred to the Congress criticism at BJP leader L. K. Advani and said in a healthy democracy, launching personal attack on Opposition leaders would send wrong signals.
He said that the Congress party should come to the defence of the prime minister if the Opposition criticises his actions instead of the prime minister himself jumping to the defence. Mr Singh accused the Congress of shying away from a serious debate on contemporary issues like terrorism and price-rise as it had nothing to flaunt on these fronts.
He also launched a counter attack at the Congress for raising the Kandahar hostage episode at the time of elections. The decision to release three terrorists in the Kandahar episode was taken after an all-party meeting in which the Congress was also present. The Congress was party to such a decision which was taken to protect the lives of hostages, he said.
Stating that the Congress should note that these hostages were not family members of BJP leaders, the BJP leader said the Congress, which has criticized the BJP on the Kandahar issue, has forgotten its own misdeed in Charar-e-Sharief where the then Congress government ensured safe passage to five dreaded terrorists though there were no hostages.
Mr. Singh refused to react to Mr. Advanis statement that he was not aware of the then minister Jaswant Singh going with the terrorists in the same plane to Kandahar.
JD (S) hits out at Cong, BJP
JD (S) today said both the Congress and BJP stand accused of giving step motherly treatment in promoting the interests of the State.
Party Spokesman Y S V Datta told reporters here both the national parties had no moral right and courage to say they had done any good for the State during their rule at the Centre.
Reacting to a 14-point charge sheet against Congress by the BJP, he said it was only Mr H D Deve Gowda, during his tenure as Prime Minister, for the first time sanctioned Rs 500 crore for irrigation projects in the State.
''It was only JD (S) which could claim it was farmer-friendly and other parties had no moral and courage to make such claims,'' he said. Stating the national parties had completely failed in taking up initiatives to solve the issues of the State in the last 60 years, he said his party was ready for a public debate on issues concerning sectors like railways, irrigation and power.
