BELAGAVI: Putting an end to speculation on the venue for the winter session of the legislature, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday stressed that the 10-day session will be held in Belagavi, as planned, from December 13. “The session will be held in Suvarna Vidhana Soudha by strictly following all Covid-19 norms. The Assembly Speaker and Council Chairman had recently visited Belagavi and reviewed the preparations,” Bommai said.
While the government has maintained that all precautions will be taken to conduct the session in Belagavi during the pandemic, a few elected representatives and even the secretariat staff association have expressed apprehensions at a time when Covid-19 clusters are mushrooming across the state and the first two Omicron variant cases in the country being detected in Karnataka.
Addressing the media in Belagavi, he said the session could not be held in Belagavi last year owing to the Covid-19 pandemic. “However, it will be held in Belagavi this time by strictly adhering to all guidelines,” he added.
Meanwhile, on the recent untimely rains and the consequent flooding and crop loss, Bommai said his government is disbursing compensation to farmers within 24 hours after conducting a survey using the ‘Parihara’ app. “Farmers have incurred huge losses due to the rain and floods. Earlier, it took at least three months to provide compensation. But now, it is done within 24 hours. Until now, Rs 422 crore compensation has been released directly to farmers’ accounts. In Belagavi, grape growers and other horticulture farmers have also suffered and are being compensated,” he added.
‘No need to comment on JDS’ decision’
Reacting to a possible BJP-Janata Dal (Secular) alliance ahead of the December 10 MLC polls, Bommai said, “The BJP never approached JDS for an alliance. Now, the JDS leadership has said they are not in favour of an alliance with us. There is no need for me to comment further. It is their party’s decision. Our senior leader B S Yediyurappa had asked JDS to support BJP in seats where it was not contesting. It was his opinion. The BJP did not seek JDS’ support.”
‘No confusion in party’
On Lakhan Jarkiholi, who is contesting the MLC electons as an Independent from Belagavi, using the BJP
stage for his campaign, the chief minister said, “Our MLAs, MPs and office-bearers have taken a united decision and that is to elect our candidate Mahantesh Kavatagimath with the highest number of first preferential votes. There is no confusion in our party in Belagavi district. We are not bothered about the second preferential vote. All three candidates are strong. Our objective is to ensure our party wins and the Congress loses.”