1. Pressure mounts on former Karnataka CM H.D. Kumaraswamy to contest Lok Sabha polls
The pressure on former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy to contest the Lok Sabha elections from a section of his colleagues in the Janata Dal (Secular) as well as the BJP seems to be increasing. The seat-sharing agreement between the two parties is likely to be announced by this weekend.
While party leaders are divided over the consequences in case of him entering the fray, the BJP central leadership is believed to be keen that he takes the plunge and arrive on the national stage. Earlier, party leaders had exerted pressure on Mr. Kumaraswamy to contest from Mandya. On March 5, at another meeting in which three BJP lawmakers were present, Mr. Kumaraswamy was requested to consider contesting from Bengaluru Rural constituency. There were also requests to consider Chikkaballapura.
2. Governor appoints Sharath Ananthamurthy as Vice Chancellor of Kuvempu University
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has appointed Dr. Sharath Ananthamurthy, professor at the School of Physics at the University of Hyderabad, as Vice Chancellor of Kuvempu University located at Shankarghatta near Shivamogga. He is son of noted writer and Jnanapith awardee U.R. Ananthamurthy.
The post of VC at Kuvempu University has been vacant since August 1, 2023, when B.P. Veerabhadrappa’s term ended. Since then, S. Venkatesh and S.V. Krishnamurthy, senior deans, have worked as acting vice chancellors.
3. Fine on Bantwal resident for using fake visa at Mangaluru airport
The Second Additional District and Sessions Court in Mangaluru overturned an order of a lower court and imposed a ₹20,000 fine on a 34-year-old resident of Bantwal, in Dakshina Kannada district, for using a fake visa during his travel abroad eight years ago.
On February 6, 2016, Shafi Mohammed Kunhi, a resident of Karopady in Bantwal taluk, was scheduled to board an Air India flight to Doha. At Mangaluru International Airport, he produced a visiting visa, which immigration clearance personnel found to be fake. However, Kunhi was found possessing an employment visa, which was valid for five years, but not for travelling on the date of the incident.
4. CM Siddaramaiah launches Our School-Our Responsibility programme
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah inaugurated ‘Our School-Our Responsibility’, a programme for development and strengthening of government schools, at his home office Krishna in Bengaluru on March 5. He also interacted with children of Siddaramanahundi and Kuppegala government schools who called on him at his home office.
