The winter session of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly begins in Belagavi on Monday. The opposition alliance comprising BJP and JD(S) is expected to challenge the government on various issues. These include the alleged scam involving the Mysuru Urban Development Authority (Muda), recent notices issued by the Waqf Board and the troubled maternal death at Ballari District Hospital.
Buoyed by winning all three seats in the November by-elections, the ruling Congress government is banking on fissures within the state BJP unit to counter the opposition’s onslaught. The BJP, which has marched from Bengaluru to Mysore over the MUDA scam and campaigned against the notification issued by the Waqf Board, is expected to raise the issues in the first two days of the session.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is an accused in the MUDA case, where several agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), are investigating irregularities in providing alternative sites for land acquired by MUDA. A recent letter by the ED to the Karnataka Lokayukta police has alleged irregularities in the allotment of 1,095 sites – including those issued to Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi. The Chief Minister has also appeared before the Lokayukta for questioning about the scam.
Even though the BJP raised the Muda scam in the monsoon session earlier this year, the opposition is expected to attack the chief minister in the upcoming session as well.
The BJP will also raise controversy over the notices issued by the Waqf Board for encroachment in both houses of the legislature. Although the Congress government has claimed that the board has sent more notices during the BJP’s tenure than the Congress, the saffron party has announced that it will take up the issue of notices sent to “farmers, monasteries and temples”.
Ahead of last month’s elections, the Waqf row gained steam, with a section of BJP leaders in the state calling for the abolition of the Waqf Board. Maternal deaths in Ballari district hospital, guarantee scheme hampering development work, crop loss due to rains, various issues affecting North Karnataka region will also be discussed in the meeting.
Meanwhile, the ruling Congress is aiming to win the by-election and is trying to counter the opposition party by saying that the government has been approved by the people. Siddaramaiah has claimed that he was implicated in the ‘politically motivated’ MUDA issue and described the recent ED’s letter to the Lokayukta as ‘prejudicial’.
Another aspect of the ruling Congress eyeing the bank is the Justice Michael D’Cunha Commission’s interim report on Covid irregularities. The report recommended action against BJP parliamentary board member and former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa and former minister B Sriramulu.
Various groups including the Panchamasali community are protesting outside the Suvarna Soudh where the convention is being held. Jayamrityunjaya Swamy, the head of the community, who laid siege to Suvarna Soudha on November 10, demanding reservation for Panchamasalis, a subgroup of the Lingayat community, has announced.