Category: Politics

The Congress party in Karnataka is planning to introduce a new law in the current legislative session. This law would give Muslim contractors a special 4% share when awarding government contracts. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is facing pressure from party leaders who represent Muslims. They claim that the Congress won many votes from Muslims in the recent elections, helping them secure 136 seats in the assembly.

Currently, contractors from Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) get a 24.1% reservation for government contracts. Recently, the government also expanded this benefit to other communities in Category 1. They have also increased the contract size limit from Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 1 crore.

According to the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act, 1999, all departments must follow these quotas when giving out contracts for projects costing up to Rs 1 crore. Departments like minor irrigation, rural development, urban development, public works, and health regularly issue these contracts.

Muslim leaders have pointed out that there are only two ministers from their community, which they believe is not enough. They argue that since many Muslims supported the Congress in the elections, they deserve better representation and opportunities.

The proposed law has upset the opposition party, BJP. BJP state president BY Vijayendra argues that creating a special quota for Muslims is unfair and will divide society based on religion. He stated that while the BJP supports welfare measures for all minority communities, this particular move seems like playing politics with Muslim voters.

Vijayendra also criticized the Congress for only acknowledging Muslims as minorities and said that giving quotas based on religion is not right.

Delhi’s Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, responded strongly to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday. She said that the AAP cannot control what her government does, and she promised that the BJP will keep the promises made during the election. The AAP has been pushing the BJP to start its plan of giving Rs 2,500 every month to women. They have been talking about this in the assembly meetings and organizing protests.

In a press conference, Gupta said, “No one needs to remind us how much time we have left. We’ll work on our plan, and they can’t tell us what to do.” She mentioned that her government is talking to women’s groups to prepare the upcoming Delhi budget, focusing on important issues like health, safety, and helping women in their careers. Gupta assured that all women’s expectations will be included in the government’s plans.

Over the next three days, Gupta plans to visit slum areas to talk with women and learn about their needs. She also wants to hear from young people. Gupta is committed to creating a budget that meets the hopes of Delhi’s people. The AAP is putting pressure on the BJP by putting up posters across the city, reminding everyone that there are only three days left to keep the promise of giving Rs 2,500 to women by March 8, which is International Women’s Day. The AAP is asking the new BJP government for a clear timeline about when this money will be given to women.

In Tamil Nadu, a meeting with many political parties, led by Chief Minister M K Stalin, discussed a big issue: the way election districts are drawn, called delimitation. They asked Prime Minister Modi to promise that if delimitation happens, it would be based on the population numbers from the 1971 census for the next 30 years.

In this meeting, which included 58 parties, everyone agreed that changing the districts based on population is unfair. They believe this would reduce the power of Tamil Nadu and other southern states, which have worked hard on family planning and other welfare programs. Some parties, like the BJP and a few others, didn’t join the meeting.

The leaders pointed out that when the government changes the number of members in Parliament, it should take into account the population trends from 1971. They feel it isn’t fair if states that did well with family planning have less representation. They also formed a group to raise awareness about these issues among people in Tamil Nadu.

Stalin raised concerns that the upcoming delimitation in 2026 could lead to fewer seats for Tamil Nadu. He warned that this change could be a threat to the state because it has been successful in managing its population. Tamil Nadu is standing up for its rights and wants fairness in how districts are drawn.

The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) criticized the Congress and other opposition parties for the comments made by Abu Azmi, the leader of the Maharashtra Samajwadi Party (SP). Azmi had praised Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, mentioning that during Aurangzeb’s rule, India was prosperous and known as the “golden sparrow.” He also talked about India’s borders reaching as far as Afghanistan and Burma (now Myanmar) and claimed that India’s GDP accounted for 24% of the world’s GDP during that time.

When asked about the conflict between Aurangzeb and Sambhaji Maharaj, Azmi called it a “political battle.” In response, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi stated that Azmi’s comments insulted Indian society. He accused the opposition coalition, known as ‘INDIA,’ of trying hard to show they are against Hindu beliefs to gain support from minorities. Trivedi described the praise of Aurangzeb, a ruler known for his cruelty, as disrespectful to Indian culture and traditions.

He also recalled that a Congress leader had visited Aurangzeb’s tomb, showing how far the opposition is willing to go in their campaign against Sanatan Dharma, which is a way of referring to Hindu traditions.

A few days ago, Congress leader Shama Mohamed made comments about Indian cricket captain Rohit Sharma, stirring up some noise. Now, another Congress leader, MLA Ravikumar Gowda, is causing a stir with his comments on actress Rashmika Mandanna.

MLA Criticizes Rashmika for Missing Film Festival:

At a public event, MLA Ravikumar Gowda questioned why Rashmika Mandanna didn’t show up at an International Film Festival last year. He said, “Rashmika, who started her career in the Kannada film ‘Kirik Party’, ignored our invitation. She reportedly said, ‘I have a house in Hyderabad and don’t know where Karnataka is, plus I’m too busy.’ A friend of ours even went to her house 10 to 12 times to invite her, but she still didn’t come. Is it right to teach her a lesson for this?” His remarks have sparked discussion about how actors connect with their local film industries.

Congress Moves Away from Rohit Sharma Controversy:

This comes right after Congress distanced itself from comments made by Shama Mohamed, who criticized Rohit Sharma’s fitness and captaincy style on social media. Mohamed called Sharma “fat” for an athlete and said he is the “most unimpressive Captain India has ever had!” After getting backlash, especially from BJP leaders, Congress asked her to delete those posts and issued a clarification. Pawan Khera, head of Congress’ media team, said that Shama’s comments don’t represent the party’s views, and she must be more careful in the future.

Political Reactions to Shama’s Words:

BJP leaders reacted strongly to Shama’s comments, calling them disrespectful. One leader, Shehzad Poonawalla, said, “The Congress party has lost many elections under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, yet they call Rohit Sharma unimpressive! Winning the T20 World Cup is impressive!”

Support for Rohit Sharma came from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi, who said, “I’m not a huge cricket fan, but I know Rohit Sharma has done great things for the Indian team, whether he is heavier or not. What counts is his hard work and commitment. He is a champion!”

The Karnataka legislature will begin its first meeting of the new year on Monday, and it’s expected to be quite eventful! Both the ruling Congress and the opposition BJP have some divisions among their members, which could lead to some heated discussions. This 15-day session will kick off with Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot addressing everyone at the Vidhana Soudha.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is also in charge of the finance department, will present his 16th budget on March 7. This new budget for 2025-26 is expected to be ₹4 lakh crore, which is more than the current ₹3.71 lakh crore.

There are rumors in Congress about changing the Chief Minister. Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar wants the top job, but many still support Siddaramaiah staying on. Meanwhile, in the BJP, some members are calling for a new president, B Y Vijayendra, because of disagreements.

Price increases will likely be a big issue. The opposition is expected to criticize the government for hikes in bus fares for state buses and Bengaluru Metro, along with rising milk prices and water rates. They claim the government is putting a burden on the people through various taxes linked with new assistance programs. They also accuse the government of misusing funds meant for Scheduled Caste and Tribal programs.

There will likely be discussions about issues like crime and law enforcement—especially following tensions in Mysuru and a recent incident in Belagavi where a bus conductor was assaulted for not speaking Marathi.

Congress plans to point fingers at the BJP for how Karnataka is being treated by the central government, claiming they’ve had issues with tax sharing and project delays that hurt the state.

Key bills up for debate include the Greater Bengaluru Governance Bill, which suggests splitting the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) into smaller corporations. The opposition accuses Congress of wanting to divide Bengaluru and delaying local elections.

Another important bill is the Karnataka Micro Loan and Small Loan (Prevention of Coercive Actions) Bill, 2025, aimed at protecting borrowers from harassment by microfinance institutions (MFIs). Finally, there will also be talks about the delay in revealing the ‘caste census’ report.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Sunday that the BJP broke its promise to the women of Delhi. They were supposed to get Rs 2,500 every month, but it hasn’t happened yet. AAP leader Kuldeep Kumar held a press conference and reminded everyone how Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to start this financial help during his rallies in Delhi. He said the BJP promised to begin the program by March 8, but no action has been taken.

Kumar pointed out that this promise wasn’t fulfilled in the first Cabinet meeting, and instead of discussing it in the assembly, BJP leaders focused on criticizing AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal. Kumar stated that the BJP has betrayed Delhi’s women.

He also reminded the BJP of the deadline set by Modi himself and claimed that the current Chief Minister, Rekha Gupta, is not keeping that promise. The AAP argued that during the elections, the BJP had offered Rs 2,500 a month to women, which was better than AAP’s offer of Rs 2,100.

As March 8, International Women’s Day, gets closer, AAP has asked the BJP government to clearly state when the promised money will reach the women’s accounts. Kumar said, “Women in Delhi are waiting for Rs 2,500. The BJP should tell them when they will get this money.”

There’s been a lot of talk about Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar visiting Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s Isha yoga center in Tamil Nadu for the Mahashivaratri celebration. This visit has created a split within the state’s Congress party members. Some leaders, like Cooperative Minister K N Rajanna, are questioning why Shivakumar is sharing the stage with someone who has criticized Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Rajanna mentioned that Sadhguru had said he doesn’t know Rahul Gandhi, so he wants Shivakumar to explain why he is appearing with such a person.

On the other hand, former MP D K Suresh, who is also Shivakumar’s brother, defended him. He said that Shivakumar always keeps the party in the loop before attending any event, including when he meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Suresh pointed out that Shivakumar had informed the party about his visit to Isha Foundation’s event ahead of time. He noted that Sadhguru personally invited Shivakumar to attend the event in Coimbatore.

Shivakumar, who is also the president of the Congress party in Karnataka, attended the big celebration in Coimbatore, where Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also present. In defense of his visit, Shivakumar expressed his strong faith, stating, “I was born a Hindu and I will die a Hindu.”

State Public Works Minister Satish Jarkiholi mentioned that this issue has grown beyond Karnataka and is now being viewed on a national level. He believes it’s important for leaders in Delhi to pay attention to it because it’s unclear what’s right or wrong.

Minister M B Patil also supported Shivakumar, saying attending the Shivaratri event is totally fine since he’s a Hindu. He argued that being a devoted Congress member doesn’t prevent someone from celebrating their faith and added, “What’s wrong with sitting with Amit Shah?” Patil emphasized that the event was not political, as Sadhguru hosts such gatherings every year in a grand way.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is like fire, said B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, a minister in his team. He made this statement to calm people who think there might be a change in leadership in the state. Khan said that both Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar, who is the state Congress President, are in their positions and there’s no talk of changing them right now.

He added, “Can anyone touch Siddaramaiah’s chair? It’s like fire. If you touch fire, you get burnt. Siddaramaiah is powerful, and changing him is impossible.”

There has been talk about whether there should be a new Chief Minister later this year. Shivakumar really wants to be the Chief Minister too, but Khan believes that everyone in the Congress party should listen to what the party leaders decide.

If there needs to be a change in leadership, they will share their views, but the final decision will come from the party’s high command. Khan also mentioned that it’s natural for all communities, including Dalits and minorities, to want a chance at being the Chief Minister.

After the May 2023 election, Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar both wanted to be the Chief Minister. In the end, Shivakumar agreed to be the Deputy Chief Minister. There were rumors that Shivakumar would get a turn to be the Chief Minister in a couple of years, but the party has not officially confirmed this. Some people think Shivakumar should not handle two big jobs at once.

Derek O’Brien, who leads the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) in the Rajya Sabha, and Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra visited Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, the leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), at his home in Kerala. Their visit lasted two days and included former MLA P.V. Anvar, who is now the head of AITC in Kerala after leaving the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

After the visit, Thangal told reporters that it was just a friendly meeting and there were no serious talks about politics. He mentioned that AITC is already part of the INDIA alliance. Strengthening this alliance is important as elections approach. Thangal said that they will discuss this within the United Democratic Front (UDF) before deciding what to do next.

O’Brien and Moitra arrived late at night at Calicut airport and are expected to visit Manjeri in Malappuram soon. They plan to meet with local party members to talk about important issues, such as the rising conflict between humans and animals in the state. Anvar, who used to support the Left, left the LDF after disagreements with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. He has chosen not to run in the upcoming elections and has decided to support the UDF instead.