Karnataka

Bengaluru/New Delhi/Mumbai, Jul 15 (PTI) The tottering Congress-JDS government in Karnataka led by H D Kumaraswamy will face the floor test in the assembly on July 18, that would end suspense over the numbers game triggered by a raft of resignations by the ruling coalition lawmakers.

As the political turmoil lingered on with the ruling coalition making frenetic efforts to win back rebels who have pushed it to the brink of collapse, Assembly Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar Monday announced the confidence motion sought to be moved by Kumaraswamy would be taken up at 11 am on July 18.

Bengaluru, Jul 13 (PTI) The BJP will press Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy to seek trust vote in the Assembly on Monday, state BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa said Saturday.

The former chief minister asserted that the Congress-JD(S)coalition government has lost majority and its collapse was imminent.

Bengaluru, Jul 11 (PTI) Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Thursday rejected demands for his resignation in the wake of 16 Congress-JD(S) MLAs quitting, which has pushed his 13-month old coalition government to the brink of collapse.

His response comes a day after the Karnataka unit of the BJP, led by its chief B S Yeddyurappa, staged a protest at the Vidhan Soudha, demanding the resignation of Kumaraswamy, who they claimed had lost majority in the House.

Bengaluru, Jul 10 (PTI) The BJP in Karnataka staged a 'dharna' at the Vidhana Soudha on Wednesday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, who they claim has lost majority in the House after the resignation of 14 MLAs of the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance.

Several state BJP leaders, including former deputy chief minister K S Eshwarappa, took part in the protest led by state president B S Yeddyurappa in front of the Gandhi statue at the Vidhana Soudha.

Mangaluru, Jul 10 (PTI) Five people have been booked on charges of raping a minor dalit girl from Vittal in Dakshina Kannada district, police sources said Wednesday.

The 17-year-old girl is now six months pregnant following the continuous sexual assault by five men in the area since December last, they said.

A case under IPC sections 376, 506 and provisions of POCSO Act and SC/ST Atrocities (prevention) Act has been registered against the accused.

Bengaluru, Jul 9 (PTI) Congress Legislature Party leader in Karnataka Siddaramaiah said Wednesday the party would seek the disqualification of rebel MLAs who have resigned.

The former chief minister also requested the 10 party MLAs who had resigned to come back or face the consequences.

Bengaluru, Jul 8 (PTI) The special investigation team probing the IMA group ponzi scam Monday arrested the deputy commissioner of Bengauru urban district B M Vijay Shankar on charges of receiving Rs 1.5 crore from company founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan, police said.

The IAS officer had allegedly taken the bribe to give a favourable report after the RBI asked the state government to probe the companys businesses, they said.

With this, the number of people arrested by the SIT has gone up to five.

Bengaluru, Jul 8 (PTI) Karnataka minister and Independent MLA H Nagesh on Monday resigned and withdrew support to the H D Kumaraswamy-led government, delivering another blow to the shaky JD(S)-Congress coalition ruling the state.

Nagesh, who was recently inducted into the government as small scale industries minister, met Governor Vajubhai Vala at the Raj Bhavan here and submitted his letter of resignation and also "unequivocally" extended support to the government of BJP, if called for by the governor.

Bengaluru, Jul 6 (PTI) Fourteen MLAs of the ruling JD(S)-Congress alliance in Karnataka have submitted their resignation to the Speaker, putting a question mark on the survival of the 13-month-old government.

If the resignations are accepted, the wobbly ruling coalition will lose majority in the 224-member Assembly as its strength will come down to 104.

Mangaluru, Jul 6 (PTI) Days after the news of a gang rape of a dalit student by her college mates sent shock waves among people, a minor girl from the same community has been sexually assaulted by a labourer in Dakshina Kannada district.

The accused identified as Ajith, a construction worker from Madnoor in Puttur was arrested in this conneciton Friday, police sources said.

The victim, a 15-year-old school student, has been admitted to hospital.