Some politicians were caught off guard when the Election Commission announced the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections on March 5. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas M. Veerappa Moily was scheduled to lay the foundation stone for an R&D facility of a public sector oil company at Devengonthi village, about 10 km from Hoskote on the outskirts of Bangalore city at 11 a.m. Realising that he would not be able to make it in time (before the model code of conduct for the elections is enforced), he asked company officials to bring the plaque to Hoskote, where he was attending another public event. The Minister thus managed to unveil the plaque “just in time”, said a company official. Presspersons assembled in Bangalore were flummoxed and stranded as a result of Mr. Moily’s race against the enforcement of the code of conduct.
Foot in mouth syndrome
Is grazing cattle a mean job? Can a member in the Cabinet of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is a champion of backward classes, make a remark to this effect, that too when the Lok Sabha elections are around and the Congress needs the support of the Yadava community?
Animal Husbandry Minister T.B. Jayachandra, however, recently lamented before his trusted lieutenants that Mr. Siddaramaiah had forced him to “graze the cattle.” But, for his bad luck, a scribe who was present at the venue reported the “hidden” feelings of the Minister verbatim, causing acute embarrassment to the Minister and his party.
‘Honour’ anyone?
There appears to be a competition of sorts among universities in Karnataka in awarding honorary doctorates to “eminent” people. Not surprisingly, the category of “eminent” includes politicians and heads of religious maths. Gulbarga University seems to have a clear edge in this race, with a dozen people conferred the distinction this year alone.
The list included two Ministers — Minister for Minority Welfare Qamarul Islam and Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises K.H. Muniyappa.
Grapevine has it that politicians who could do with a spot of “honour” are hoping to make it in the next list.
Mocking Modi
Considering the manner in which the Karnataka unit of the BJP is attacking the Congress government in the State, it seems Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is not losing a single opportunity to mock BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
In an attempt to woo voters, Mr. Modi, at a rally in the State, had lavishly praised the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa and his initiatives on the agricultural front. Mr. Siddaramaiah, who had taken note of this, embarrassed BJP members in the Legislative Council when he sought to know why Mr. Modi, who had praised Mr. Yeddyurappa’s agriculture budget, had not made any such attempts in Gujarat. Mr. Siddaramaiah also sought to know the rationale behind the Gujarat government seeking a vote-on-account when the BJP government was enjoying absolute majority.
“Is Mr. Modi dreaming of becoming the Prime Minister? Does he want the new Chief Minister to present a full-fledged budget after the Lok Sabha polls?” Mr. Siddaramaiah asked.
