Imran Khan fractures spine after dramatic fall

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Wed, 08 May 2013

Timeline Refresh

23:39 US Deputy Secretary of State William J Burns to visit India

Deputy Secretary Burns is headed to New Delhi to continue dialogue on a wide range ofpolitical, economic and security issues.

The deputy secretary will exchange views with his counterparts on how to grow the trade and investment relationship and expand our energy and climate change cooperation, including how to further advance our civil nuclear cooperation.

23:22 Imran Khan fractures spine after dramatic fall

Former cricket legend turned politician Imran Khan fractured three vertebrae when he fell at a political rally in Lahore Tuesday, Global Post reported. His doctor, Faisal Sultan, said he also cracked a rib and cut his head.

Khan has been prescribed complete bed rest by doctors.

Preliminary investigations into the probe of the railway bribery scandal are leading to the office of the railway minister, but the probe agency would wait till it gets concrete evidence in this regard, the Central Bureau of Investigation sources said on Wednesday.

The sources clarified that direct evidence of involvement of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal has not surfaced so far, but at least four officials posted in his office would be questioned very soon. They, however, said Bansal's clarification would be sought in connection with the alleged bribery case.

The Bharatiya Janata Party today said the Supreme Court's "serious observations" in the Central Bureau of Investigation case relating to the coal-gate involving Law Minister Ashwani Kumar confirmed that the probe report on the scam was changed by the minister and demanded his resignation.

Soon after the Supreme Court's observations were made, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter, "Additional solicitor general blamed attorney general. Now, the attorney general blames law minister. The fact is all three of them have misconducted themselves."

Vicky Nanjappa reports: With the Congress undecided on whom to make the next Karnataka chief minister, an option that is being considered and spoken about in Congress circles is a 50/50 arrangement.

The preferred choice of both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi is Mallikarjuna Kharge.

There are a couple of factors that have made the two top leaders of the Congress favour Kharge.

Kharge has been in the Congress for four decades and is a loyalist. Moreover, he is a candidate no one would have any problem with except the Siddaramaiah faction due to his seniority in the party.

Vicky Nanjappa reports: Senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah said in Bangalore that he is the main contender for the Karnataka chief minister's post. He, however. was quick to add that the matter was left to the party high command and he would abide by any decision taken by them.

Siddaramaiah said that he would be leaving for Delhi but made no mention that the purpose of his visit was to discuss the candidature for the top job. He said he was visiting New Delhi to thank Sonia Gandhi for her support during election campaign in the state.

Siddaramaiah said that first priority of the Congress would be to provide good administration. "We will continue our fight against corruption. Remember we are the ones who ensured that Janardhana Reddy went to jail. No one who is corrupt will be spared," he assured.

Vicky Nanjappa reports: Congress leaders Siddarmaiah and G Parameshwara are likely to leave with a host of other senior leaders to meet with party high command in New Delhi to hold discussions about the Karnataka elections.

The leaders will decide a date to convene a Congress Legislature Party meeting to elect the chief minister. Siddarmaiah is the frontrunner for the post, but there are efforts being made by Union Labour Minister Mallikarjuna Kharge and co-chairman of Congress campaign committee in Karnataka DK Shivakumar to the coveted post.

20:36 RBI to introduce Rs 10 plastic notes soon

The Reserve Bank of India will soon introduce plastic/polymer currency note of Rs 10 on a field trial basis in five cities in India.

Depending on the success of the move and how these notes work, the RBI will then decide on the next denomination of such notes that have to be brought out.

Shiv Sena, the alliance partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the National Democratic Alliance, is "happy" over the defeat of the "anti-Marathi" government in Karnataka even as it asserted that the BJP will do well in upcoming assembly elections in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.

"Though nobody expected the Congress to win in Karnataka, I am personally happy that the BJP government which always meted out injustice to the people in border areas is dislodged from power," Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray told reporters today.

Uddhav, however, added that the BJP should not perceive his comments as criticism by the alliance partner.

The Congress has won 120 seats so far in the 224-member Assembly, getting an absolute majority in the Karnataka Assembly elections.

Former senior police officers today by and large welcomed the Supreme Court's strictures against the government and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the coal block allocation scam report/affidavit.

Former CBI Director DR Karthikeyan said: "The (apex)court has taken a very serious view. The PMO (Prime Minister's Office) and the law ministry had access to the report on coal. We should whit till the final verdict of the court."

"What the CBI did is wrong. The CBI should be liberated. Every country should have an independent agency. This happens in many other countries, and with some (police) reforms it can be done here also," he added.

Former CBI Director Joginder Singh said that the Supreme court was absolutely right in telling the CBI not to behave like a "parrot in a cage', but behave like a "free bird' and do its duty as the country's premier investigative agency.

-- The Supreme Court asks the Centre to come out with a law before July 10 to insulate the CBI from external influence and intrusion.

-- The SC also directs the CBI not to share the progress of the probe or any report or material with anybody other than its 33-member team and Director Ranjit Sinha.

-- Immediate steps have to be taken by the Centre and the CBI to repatriate DIG Ravi Kant Mishra who was investigating officer in coal block case and was transferred to the IB.

-- The CBI chief to ensure there is no access to any person, including Law Minister, other Union Ministers, law officers, CBI counsel and Department of Prosecution of the CBI to probe in coal block scam.

-- Status report on the probe in the coalgate scam shall not be provided to the special CBI court where FIR was registered.

-- SC to consider various aspects including setting up of a SIT to look after the probe into coal blocks allocation scam. "Does it not subvert integrity of investigation if changes are brought in status report on suggestion of Law Minister and govt officers," the SC asked.

The CBI says it will follow the directions of the Supreme Court in letter and spirit. The SC will take up the next hearing on July 10 after the four-hour long hearing today.

17:20 Modi's smart game in Karnataka

How Narendra Modi played his hand well in Karnataka. He didn't campaign extensively in the state -- he was there for just a day at the tail-end of the campaign -- so is unlikely to be blamed for the expected defeat. Read

The Supreme Court has asked the CBI not to share details of the investigation with anyone -- the law minister or any other minister. The CBI director will be held responsible, if there are any transgressions. The CBI has to file an affidavit by July 3 on what steps have been taken to ensure the investigative agency's autonomy.

CBI director Ranjit Sinha tells CNN IBN that no report would be shared in future.

The PMO reacts to the SC observation on the CBI'S coal probe report. Sources
in the PMO tell CNN IBN there is no need for any action on law minister Ashwani Kumar till a final Supreme Court order. In other words, despite Sonia Gandhi's reluctance to keep the law minister, it is likely that he may not be asked to go.
The next SC hearing on Coalgate is on July 10.

16:57 NO option but to adjourn Parliament: Speaker

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today justified the sudden adjournment of Parliament, saying there was no option as it was not running. She said the disturbances created by MPs in the House amounted to betrayal of the people who have elected them.

"The House should run, the House should always run. There should not be any disturbance for any reason. It is betrayal of the trust of the people who have elected their representatives," she told reporters after Parliament was adjourned sine die.

To a poser on as to why the House was adjourned two days before schedule, Kumar said, "Because the House was not running." With the sudden curtailment of the budget session, key legislations like the National Food Security Bill and the Land Acquisition Bill could not be passed.

Outgoing Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar speaking for the first time after the BJP got a drubbing in Karnataka says they lost due to a negative vote.

Addressing a press conference at Bangalore, Shettar who will resign at 6 pm today said that they accept the peoples' verdict with humility. "I thank the people of Karnataka who gave us an opportunity to rule the state for five years. Now we will sit in opposition and do a constructive job," he said.

Karnataka BJP chief Prahlad Joshi said he took responsibility for the defeat and the people's verdict would be accepted with all humility. "I would like to tell the next government to continue with the good work that we have done. We have implemented many pro-people policies in the state and we hope they will continue to reach the people through the next government. In the next 15 days we will call for a meeting of all our party workers to introspect on the loss. We will consult with our national leaders and also find a way to working our way through issues affecting the party," he said.
-- Vicky Nanjappa

16:31

CBI says it will follow directions of Supreme Court in letter and spirit and assures the court of thorough and qualitative investigation into Coalgate.

16:15 SC: Govt changed HEART of coal probe report

The Supreme Court restores transferred probe officer CBI DIG Ravi Kant to head the probe panel. The SC had sought details of the officers of the CBI engaged in investigating coal scam and did not approve of the supervising officer Ravi Kant being allowed to be transferred to the Intelligence Bureau.

The SC also observed that the government was "sharing reports with officials whose departments are under a scanner. The heart of the report was changed on the directions of the government." The court added that there was no substantial progress in the coal scam probe.

First reactions on the SC's observations on the CBI affidavit on the coal probe report. Sushma Swaraj says, that the law minister and the Attorney General should resign immediately.

Here's her tweet: @SushmaSwarajbjp: ASG blamed Attorney General. Now Attorney General blames Law Minister. The fact is all three of them have misconducted themselves.

15:40 Even god couldn't save Eshwarappa

Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, K S Eshwarappa has been trounced at the Shimoga constituency. Termed as a revenge battle launched by B S Yeddyurappa, Eshwarappa ended up third in the battle for Shimoga. Eshwarappa never saw eye-to-eye with Yeddyurappa and was instrumental in wanting Yeddyurappa ousted.

When Eshwarappa entered the fray, he was up against the KJP and the Congress, which entered into an understanding to defeat the BJP. In fact, this is one of the most embarassing defeats for the BJP. Not only did Eshwarappa lose, but the BJP did not manage to retain any of the seats in Shimoga which was one the party's strongest bastions.
-- Vicky Nanjappa

Meanwhile, in Karnataka, the Congress will have one less headache while deciding the chief ministerial candidate, when it forms the government in Karnataka.

G Parameshwara who trailed in the Korategere seat right from the time counting began, has lost his seat. Parameshwara, the state Congress chief was a strong contender for the post of Chief Minister. For now, the way has been cleared for Siddaramaiah. -- Vicky Nanjappa.

15:21 From a mason to a builder of dreams

Shortly on rediff.com, read Sheela Bhatt's report on Madhusudan Mistry, the state general secretary, who was made in-charge of the Karnataka elections. The man who rose from a humble mason to someone who turned around the Congress' fortunes in the state. Await the story...

15:13 Wins and leads so far...

Back to the Karnataka poll results: The latest figures are:
Congress: 119 win, 2 lead
JD-S: 38 win, 2 lead
BJP: 38 win, 2 lead
Others: 21 win, 1 lead

The Supreme Court expresses concern over the government's interference in the CBI's workings.

"It's a sordid saga that there are many masters and one parrot," SC says after going through CBI director's affidavit on the coal scam probe. The SC pulls up Joint Secretaries of PMO and Coal Ministry for meeting CBI officials and suggesting changes in the draft report. "How on earth did joint secretaries of PMO, coal ministry attend meetings, see the report. Is the CBI a collaborator or investigator?"

Attorney General GE Vahanvati reacts: "I have neither asked for, nor have I got the probe report. I met CBI officials only on the suggestion of the law minister."

14:59 Centre interference in CBI a worry: SC

The Supreme Court is now hearing the CBI's affidavit on the coal probe report. It's verdict is expected now. The SC adds that, "giving unbridled power to the CBI is not possible, but if there is a law in the offing to make CBI autonomous, we want pass orders." The SC categorically states that it wants an undertaking from the government to make the CBI independent.

The Supreme Court wants undertaking from the government that it has to make the CBI independent. "If it does not, we will step in," says the Supreme Court.

14:45 SC slams Attorney General

The Supreme Court has slammed Attorney General GE Vahanvati for stating that the CBI's coal probe report was not shared with anyone. The CBI in its affidavit, said later, that its report had in fact been shared with the law minister, the attorney general, the PMO and the officials from the coal ministry. Additional Solicitor General, Harin Rawal, who has since quit, had said the report had not been shared with the political executive.

The SC is now hearing the CBI's affidavit on the coal probe report. The verdict is expected to be delivered any time now.

The Supreme Court says that the CBI has become a caged parrot speaking its master's voice.

14:36

The Supreme Court is set to scrutinise whether the changes in the CBI affidavit on Coalgate was intended to shield the government and the agency's claim that there is no rule barring it from "sharing" investigation details.

14:34 BSP MP walks out of Parliament as Vande Mataram is played

A BSP member left the Lok Sabha as the national song was being played to mark the sine die adjournment of the Budget Session of Parliament, prompting an angry rebuke from Speaker Meira Kumar.

"One honourable member walked out when Vande Mataram was being played. I take very serious view of this. I would want to know why this was done. This should never be done again," Kumar said.

Shafiqur Rahman Barq, BSP member from Sambhal in Uttar Pradesh, was seen walking out of the House as Vande Mataram was being played with all members standing in attention.

PM Manmohan Singh seems more voluble today: "Corruption is an important issue, we must sit together and find a solution. We are seized of the matter and shall find a way," Dr Singh says on the coal issue involving Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.

14:05 And yes, Ambareesh wins

M H Ambareesh the rebel star of Karnataka has won the Mandya Assembly seat by a mammoth margin of 35,000 votes. He overcame a rebellion by the S M Krishna faction to win the seat.

14:04 More winners and some losers

Mining baron Anil Lad from the Congress won the Bellary city seat. Despite rebellion and after being refused a ticket at first, Lad managed to pull off a victory from the controversial Bellary city constituency.

The other Congress candidate who faced a massive rebellion is M H Ambareesh. He is now leading comfortably in Mandya.

C T Ravi of the BJP won from Chickmagalur constituency by 7000 votes. The other important winner was R Ashok, the Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka.

-- Vicky Nanjappa

13:53 Sonia NOT keen on Ashwani, Bansal continuing

Tainted ministers Ashwani Kumar and PK Bansal are likely to quit. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is not very keen that they continue to hold their portfolios of law and railways. NDTV says Congress sources say it's a matter of time before the decision.

13:51

BJP (40) edges ahead of JDS (38).

13:46 With massive 18,000 vote win in pocket, CM Shettar to quit

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar is headed towards the Raj Bhavan in Bangalore where he will resign. Shettar who won his constituency of Hubli-Dharwad central by 18,000 votes, is the third CM of Karnataka in the past five years.

13:35

And this is what Kapil Sibal said earlier: The BJP will retain its position in Karnataka in the Lok Sabha polls.

13:33 PM: Karnataka win is rejection of BJP ideology

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's first statement on the Karnataka win: Congress victory in Karnataka is a rejection of BJP's ideology.

This is what Congress president Sonia Gandhi had said: We expected to win, but I'm very happy with the victory.

Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar won the Hubli-Dharwad central seat by a respectable and massive margin of 18,000 votes.

And yes, the Samajwadi Party opened its account for the first time in Karnataka. C P Yogeshwar of the Samajwadi Party won the Channapatana beating Anita Kumaraswamy of the JD(S). -- Vicky Nanjappa

13:22

Here's a look at some of the winners and losers.

13:22 Husband wins, wife loses

Anitha Kumaraswamy, wife of H D Kumarawamy lost the elections by a margin of 6,000 votes. This is a major disappointment for the JD(S) which was looking to take this seat easily. She was beaten by C P Yogeshwar.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi's first statement since the Karnataka win: We expected to win, but I'm very happy with the victory.

CM hopeful Siddaramaiah speaking (almost like he is in the chair) to NDTV says, "There are big challenges ahead for the party. We have to ensure clean administration, Karnataka has to be made free from corruption, we have to be pro people. I thank Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Manmohan Singh. The Rahul factor was important for us to get votes. JDS won becoause of poor performance of the BJP."

Asked whether he will be the next chief minister, Siddaramaiah smiles and says the decision rests with the Congress high command. But, I am one of the strong contenders."

Another person for that post is Priyank Kharge who said he could consider being the chief minister.

H D Kumarswamy of the JD(S) wins the Ramnagar seat

Wife Anitha Kumaraswamy continues to trail by 8,000 votes from the Channapatana constituency.

The last hope for the BJP at Mangalore also went down the drain with Krishna Palemar losing.

Anil Lad of the Congress is leading in the Bellary central constituency while former BJP minister Bache Gowda has lost as well.

As expected, BS Yeddyurappa wins in the Shikaripura Assembly constituency. He trounced the BJP by 15,000 votes. This is the second KJP win --- the first one being Bhatkal. The KJP currently is leading in nine seats.

-- Vicky Nanjappa

12:46 PC, Jaswant agree on Karnataka

In a rare picture of bonhomie between the Congress and the BJP, finance minsiter P Chidambaram and BJP senior leader Jaswant Singh was caught on camera, sharing similar prognoses of the Karnataka polls.

Said Chidambaram, "There are no lessons beyond this that whichever party is in power has to deliver. We are being watched very closely by the people."

A smiling Jaswant Singh, nodded in agreement and said, "People want governance. The reality is what we are seeing on the ground." He refused to comment on the impact of the Narendra Modi factor in Karnataka. "I don't want to talk about individuals," he said firmly.

Cong spokesperson Rashid Alvi, wags his finger and says, the BJP should learn a lesson from the routing.

H D Kumaraswamy leader of the JDS while criticising the Congress performance also maintained that he is not in any understanding with the BJP. "I blame the media for the Congress win. What has effectively happened is that the corruption initiated by the BJP, will be continued by the Congress. I respect the peoples' verdict against us. They want us to sit in opposition," he said.

Fate of other candidates..

Meanwhile, B Sriramulu who floated the BSR Congress party has won the Bellary rural seat. He defeated the BJP and the Congress in a one-sided battle. BS Yeddyurappa loyalist Murugesh Nirani who refused to quit the BJP is trailing.
CM Udasi who quit the BJP and joined the KJP lost his seat.
-- Vicky Nanjappa

12:29 Mr Clean -- BJP's Suresh Kumar -- wins

Finally, some cheer for the BJP with the victory of Suresh Kumar. The BJP leader who has been called Mr Clean was trailing for a long time to the Congress from the Rajajinagar seat. However he picked up towards the end of counting and beat the Congress and also his KJP rival Shobha Karandlage. According to the EC website, he was leading over the Congress candidate Manjula Naidu by approximately 2,400 votes. -- Vicky Nanjappa

12:24 Winners and losers

Priyank Kharge has won the Chittapur seat by 11,000 votes.

Film star Pooja Gandhi from the BSR Congress lost her Raichur seat.

Siddaramaiah just strengthened his position to claim the post of Chief Minister, winning the Varuna constituency by a major margin of 20,000 against the JD(S) and the KJP which were his main contenders. His closest contender was Siddalingaswamy of the KJP who is a Yeddyurappa loyalist. He is up against G Parameshwar who is currently trailing at his Koratagere constituency.

-- Vicky Nanjappa

The Lok Sabha has been adjourned sine die (without assigning a day for further meeting) after the Congress win in Karnataka. The session ends two days earlier, with only the finance bill passed.

Congress leader Priyank Kharge who is leading from the Chittapur constituency says he doesn't mind being chief minister. His father union labour minister Mallikarjun Kharge is synonymous with development and social justice from the region and the son is reaping in the goodwill.

But for the ruling BJP, it has been an unparalleled decimation, with the Congress wresting power from it after a gap of seven years. The BJP's southern fort where it came to power for the first time in 2008 crumbled and the party has been pushed to the third position behind JD(S).

Exploiting the split in BJP and the spoiler's role played by former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, the Congress was ahead in 119 of the 223 constituencies that went to polls and has already won 11 seats.

The fledgling Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) floated by Yeddyurappa after his exit from BJP was leading only in more than ten seats while independents and others were ahead in 08 seats.

In the elections five years ago when BJP stormed to power for the first time in a southern state on its own, the party had won 110 seats against Congress' 80 and BJP's 28.

Pic: Congress leader Siddaramaiah

And some good news for the BJP: Anand Singh of the BJP won the prestigious Bellary Vijaynagar seat. He beat the BSR Congress headed by former BJP leader, Sriramulu, by 13,000 votes.

Former Home Minister of Karnataka Roshan Baig won the Shivajinagar seat by beating Nirmal Surana of the BJP.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Janatha Party has registered its first win and this is from the Bhatakal constituency. Shivananda Nayak won the elections on a KJP ticket which is headed by Yeddyurappa. -- Vicky Nanjappa

HD Kumaraswamy, JDS president, speaking to NDTV says, the decision on who will be chief minister rests solely with the Congress. When asked about his reactions to the possibility that the Congress' Siddaramaiah, may become CM, Kumaraswamy said it wasn't necessary for him to react. "There can be surprise decisions. But Siddaramaiah is totally antagonist to the JDS," he said.

Pictured: Congress' Siddaramaiah, the likely CM candidate. Pic/Madhusudan SR

11:39

More setbacks for the BJP:
Ramanath Rai of the Congress has beaten the BJP at the Buntwal constituency. He won the elections against the BJP by 10,000 votes.

Another setback was for Karunakara Reddy of the BJP of the Reddy brothers. He lost his seat at Harapanahalli to the Congress candidate M P Ravindra.

11:38 Family matters in Karnataka

Senior leaders Mallikarjuna Kharge, Dharam Singh and Jaffer Sharief must be sitting at home watching the results coming in with a beatific expression. Their sons and a grandson are putting up a good show, so far. While Priyank Kharge is leading at Chittapur comfortably, Ajay Singh too is putting up a good show at Jewargi. Rehman Sharrief the grandson of Jaffer Sharrief is also leading in Hebbal constituency. -- Vicky Nanjappa

11:28

Meanwhile, in Delhi, MPs ensure nothing changes in Parliament. Both houses have been adjourned till noon as BJP stalls proceedings demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

11:25 Kumaraswamy: Will fight Congress too, not in kingmaker race

JDS president HD Kumaraswamy, whose party has emerged as the second largest party in the Karnataka polls says he is not in the kingmaker race. "If people bless us, we will sit in the opposition."

11:21 Yeddy takes revenge: BJP drops to number 3

Former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa dealt a body blow to the ruling BJP as it appeared set to slump to the third position behind the JDS, as the Congress was struggling towards majority in the Karnataka Assembly, latest trends showed. Congress was leading in 104, followed by the JDS in 42 and the BJP in 34. As many as 17 independents were leading and may play a key role in government formation, should the Congress fall short of numbers. In the 224-member House, 112 seats would be required for majority.

Polling was held in 223 segments, with the one in Periyapatna in Mysore district put off to May 28 following death of a BJP candidate. Karnataka Janatha Paksha of Yeddyurappa, who broke away from the BJP late last year and formed the regional outfit, was ahead in ten segments.

Significantly, KJP has damaged the prospects of the BJP in many constituencies, eating into its votes. The Congress appeared set to for a clean sweep in coastal Dakshina Kannada district, a traditional BJP stronghold. But it was the JDS of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda which was the surprise package of the polls, faring better than expected. In Bangalore urban areas, which has a total of 28 seats, the Congress was ahead in 11 and the BJP in eight.

11:10

Other candidates:

Ramalinga Reddy of the Congress wins from BTM Layout in Bangalore.
Lakshman Savadi leads. Savadi was involved in a porn scandal. Read

11:05

Congress has emerged as the clear winner in Karnataka. Figures so far: Leads:109, wins: 05.

JDS is far behind, but at the #2 slot; leading in 42 seats.
BJP is at #3 with 37 leads. BJP loses the only state it ruled in the south.

11:03 Poor loser BJP says Congress will meet same fate in 2014

Poor loser BJP says the Congress will meet the same fate in general elections. The very troublesome Renukacharya who joined the Karnataka Janatha Party has lost the elections. Contesting on a KJP ticket after quitting the BJP, Renukacharya the former excise minister lost to the Congress from Honnalli.

Meanwhile, the BJP which was strong in the Shimoga belt from where Yeddyurappa hails, has slipped to the third slot. The KJP leads here and the Congress is second.

Pic: CM Jagadish Shettar leading by 4,600 from Hubli-Dharwad constituency.

10:51

OK, so the Congress hits the 112 mark -- that's leads plus wins.

10:38 BJP to hold Parl Board meeting, Modi likely to skip it

As expected, the BJP, which has falled to the #3 slot, will be holding a Parliamentary Board meeting to discuss and mope over disastrous results in the Karnataka polls. Narendra Modi is likely to skip the meeting. Modi's magic failed in Mangalore.

10:30 Yeddy factor works against BJP in Mangalore

Update from Mangalore: This was a sure-shot bastion of the BJP party has lost three of its seats here. Krishna Palemar is trailing to the Congress in Mangalore.

Pramod Madhawraj of the Congress from Udupi, U T Khader of Ullal and Vasanth Bangera of Belthangady have all won their seats. All these three candidates are from Mangalore. The Congress is leading in Buntwal and also Mangalore central.

Mangalore was a much hyped constituency as it was considered to be a saffron belt. There are many factors that went against the BJP in this belt. The split in the BJP after Yeddyurappa walked out proved to be costly for the BJP as the field workers remained a split unit. There were incidents such as the home stay attacks, the pub attacks and also the church attacks which proved costly for the BJP. The trend of a BJP loss was witnessed during the urban local body elections.

There was a lot of hope from the Narendra Modi rally in Mangalore, but the Gujarat CM was roped in one day before the close of the campaign and too much was expected out of him.

10:24 BJP takes another blow: Sadananda Gowda loses

In another major set back to the BJP, the party lost its strong Puttur bastion to Shakuntala Shetty of the Congress. The BJP had a lot of hope in Puttur which is the home constituency of former Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda.

Shetty who was part of the BJP was not given a ticket in the 2008 elections. However the BJP managed to field a new candidate and beat Shakuntala Shetty who contested as an Independent. Shetty then joined the Congress and managed to beat the BJP. -- Vicky Nanjappa

10:18 Pramod Madhvaraj of the Congress wins

First seat to be declared is Pramod Madhvaraj of the Congress who won the Udupi seat in the Karnataka Assembly elections. He beat the BJP by 23,000 votes. This is a significant victory, since the Udupi constituency was the BJP bastion in 2008.

The exit polls appear to be right and the Congress has taken a major lead in the Karnataka Assembly Elections. The BJP has slipped to the third position and is trailing to the JD(S). During the 2008 elections the JD(S) had won just 28 seats, this time it's leading in 45 seats.

10:09 Won't sulk if Siddaramaiya is CM: Parameshwara

G Parameshwara speaking to NDTV says if Siddaramaiya wins, he will not sulk.
"Yes, I have to win with a big margin. But the point is that the party has to come back to power," he says.

Parameshwara says the Congress will get 120 seats. Leads so far: Congress: 102, JDS: 43, BJP: 39, KJP: 09.

10:03 Karnataka CM front-runner Parameshwara TRAILS!

In a huge surprise, G Parameshwara, the state Congress chief lost his lead to the JD(S) at the Koratagere constituency. Parameshwara who is eyeing the post of chief minister now faces a very tough battle against the JD(S) in Koratagere. He started off well, but slowly slipped to second position. If he loses the seat his chances of becoming a Chief Minister becomes impossible.

09:58 Who among them will be the new CM?

Five Congressmen are eyeing the CM's post of which front-runner Siddaramaiah, G Parameshwara and D K Shiva Kumar are in state politics while Veerappa Moily and Mallikarjuna Kharge are heavyweight Union ministers.

09:57

Film star-turned-politician Ambareesh from Congress, is all set to win the Mandya constituency.

09:51 Congress races ahead, JDS second, BJP slips to third place

The ruling BJP has slipped to the third position in the over all leads position. The JD(S) is currently ahead of the BJP.

The JD(S) is in the lead in 40 seats, while the BJP leads in 37. The JD(S) has maintained its lead over the Mandya belts where it leads in six seats. It has also put up an impressive show in the old Mysore region. While the party appears to be pleased with its performance, the worry is that Anitha Kumaraswamy (HD Kumaraswamy's wife) who is still trailing at Channapatana.

BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad seems to have accepted defeat. Speaking to NDTV, he said: We will respect the mandate. We will reclaim our position in the Lok Sabha elections. We will sit in the opposition and see how the Congress or the Congress and its allies perform.

Leads so far: Congress: 80, BJP: 37, JDS 37, KJP: 12

Rajajinagar: Suresh Kumar who was trailing at the Rajajinagar seat has now picked up the lead. He was trailing to the Congress candidate, Manjula Naidu, when counting commenced. This means Shobha Karandlage of the KJP who was at the second slot has now slipped to third.

Mangalore: Krishna Palemar of the BJP continues to trail at Mangalore. The bastion appears to be getting out of the BJP's hold. UT Khader of the Congress is leading in this belt while Ramanath Rai of the same party too is leading from Buntwal. The BSR Congress which had a slow start has now picked up the leads in four seats in Bellary.
-- Vicky Nanjappa

09:40

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi: Congress will have clear majority, but we are not averse to considering alliances if need be for the greater good of the state.

09:33 Congress racing ahead of BJP in Assembly poll trends

With initial trends available for 103 constituencies of the total 223 which went to polls on May 5, the Congress was leading in 64 segments and the ruling BJP in 36. JDS of former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was ahead in 28 constituencies and the Karnataka Janatha Paksha of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa in five segments.

BSR Congress of former BJP Minister B Sriramulu was leading in two. Initial trends suggested that the KJP dented the prospects of the BJP in a number of constituencies.

Among those ahead initially include Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar (Hubli-Dharwad Central), Yeddyurappa (Shikaripura) and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Siddaramaiah (Varuna).

Counting was taken up in 36 centres at 8 am today. Election in Periyapatna was put off to May 28 following the death of BJP candidate. 113 seats would be required for majority in the 224-member House.

09:23 Leads so far...

Leads so far: Congress: 60, BJP: 37, JDS: 26

09:17 Dy CM Eshwarappa slips to third position

BJP state chief KS Eshwarappa has slipped to the third position at the Shimoga constituency. The Deputy CM in the BJP government is trailing to both the Congress and the KJP at his constituency which he had won comfortably last time.

Meanwhile, the Congress continues to maintain the lead at the Rajajinagar constituency in which there is a battle on between Suresh Kumar of the BJP and Shobha Karandlage of the KJP. (Read: Rajajinagar: Will Suresh Kumar survive Shobha's blitz?)

B Sriramulu of the BSR Congress party continues to maintain a steady lead in Bellary rural. Karunakar Reddy of the BJP is however trailing his seat in Davangere while Renukacharya of the KJP has slipped from a comfortable lead.

Law minister Suresh Kumar is trailing in his constituency of Rajajinagar to Congress candidate, Manjula Naidu. Surprisingly Shobha Karandlage of the KJP is also trailing in this seat.

The sons of former chief minister Bangarappa who are contesting against each other at Soraba are both trailing. Kumar and Madhu Bangarappa are trailing against their uncle, H Halappa of the KJP. -- Vicky Nanjappa

The Congress is leading in 50 while the BJP in 27 and the JD(S) 19, KJ(P) 03.

09:01 Who's leading, who's trailing...

Anitha Kumaraswamy, wife of H D Kumaraswamy is trailing in her seat at Channapatana.

M H Ambareesh of the Congress is leading in Mandya where he faced a major rebellion from S M Krishna.

K S Eshwarappa of the BJP who had taken an early lead is now trailing in Shimoga.

Renukacharya of the KJP is trailing to the BJP.

Jagadish Shettar is in a comfortable lead

CM Udasi of the KJP is trailing.

R Ashok, Deputy CM is leading

Siddaramaiah and Parameshwara continue to maintain their leads.

-- Vicky Nanjappa

08:58 Parameshwara: Cong will get 120 seats

NDTV: Dr G Parameshwara, the state Congress chief says the party will win 120 seats. He is also a CM aspirant.

BS Yeddyuprappa says his party will get between 40 and 45 seats. He is contesting from Shikaripura and is in the lead.

In the Varuna Assembly segment, Siddaramaiah, a veteran politician and a strong chief ministerial candidate, is pitted against a fresher who served as a private assistant to former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa for long.
Heavyweight Yeddyurappa has vowed to defeat Siddaramaiah through Ka Pu Siddalingaswamy who served him well in the ups and downs of his tumultous political career.

Remember, the half-way mark is 112.

Varuna Assembly segment of the district.

Siddaramaiah, a veteran politician and a strong chief ministerial candidate, pitted against a fresher who served as a private assistant to former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa for long.

Heavyweight Yeddyurappa has vowed to defeat Siddaramaiah through Ka Pu Siddalingaswamy who served him well in the ups and downs of his tumultous political career.

- See more at: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/karnataka-polls-its-future-cm-vs-yeddyurappas-man-friday-in-varuna-constituency/1111047/#sthash.1uRsnZwz.dpuf

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday had made a strong pitch for "change" in Karnataka as it was passing through "some of the darkest days'.

Addressing her first election rally in the poll-bound state at Chickmagalur, Sonia said: "I remind the young generation that these are some of the darkest days. People want change. The need for change is now, and now."

"The BJP has completely ignored your mandate, they have completely betrayed the mandate of the people of Karnataka", she charged, as she attacked the government on various fronts, including the "breakdown" of the law and order.

The exit polls are often wrong, but the figures so far indicate Congress may sweep the Karnataka polls. Of the figures available on 27 seats so far, the Congress leads with 11, BJP: 08, JDS: 4, KJP: 3, Others: 1

08:32 'Cong high command will decide CM'

Karnataka Congress spokesperson KE Radhakrishna says Congress will sweep the polls with the party high command deciding who will be chief minister.

08:30 Leads so far

The Karnataka Janatha Paksha (KJP) is putting up a better performance than expected. The newly launched party headed by former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa is already leading in four constituencies which includes the Shikaripura seat contested by him.

At present the leads are available for 20 constituencies and the BJP is leading in 05 while the Congress in 07, JD(S) 03, KJ(P) 03, Others 01.

The prominent leaders as of now are Siddaramaiah, B S Yeddyurappa, Renukacharya, K S Eshwarappa, R Ashok, H D Kumaraswamy, H D Revanna and G Parameshwar. The Mangalore bastion of the BJP looks shaky for the moment with Krishna Palemar trailing. -- Vicky Nanjappa

Rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa gives us a minute-by-minute update of what is happening in Karnataka.

Counting has commenced and the BJP is leading in 12 constituencies, while the Congress is leading in nine. The JD(S) has taken the lead in 5 constituencies while the KJP, BJP and an Independent have the lead in one seat each. Congress leader, Siddaramaiah is leading at the Varuna constituency while H D Kumaraswamy of the JD(S) is leading at Ramnagar.

-- Vicky Nanjappa

08:16 69% polling on Sunday

An estimated 69 per cent of the about 4.36 crore electorate voted in the largely peaceful assembly polls in Karnataka on Sunday amid projections that the beleaguered ruling Bharatiya Janata Party was on a sticky wicket against a resurgent Congress.The polling percentage in Bangalore alone was at 52 per cent, Chief Electoral Officer Anil Jha informed the media.

08:09 223 seats up for grabs

The results of the vote count will decide who will occupy each of the 223 seats up for grabs in the state assembly. All district administrations have made necessary arrangements to ensure a smooth counting of votes, as most of the final results of which are expected around noon today. The final tally will be announced this evening.

With exit polls widely predicting a Congress victory in Karnataka Assembly elections, the burning question now is whether the party would gain majority on its own, as counting of votes is taken up tomorrow.

Some of these polls have put the Congress tally in the224-member House at anywhere between 110 and 132, with the ruling BJP a distant loser; 113 seats would be required for majority.

Now, the recurrent question being asked is if there will be a situation where the Congress falls short of numbers. Some leaders of Karnataka Janatha Paksha (KJP) of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa have said in private that the party is ready to support a Congress government, if it comes to that.

But it's not clear if the Congress would accept KJP support, particularly as it had gone hammer and tongs against Yeddyurappa when he was the Chief Minister and faced corruption charges.

The Congress is hoping that it would not have to depend on others to form government.

Prima facie, it appears that Yeddyurappa may have accomplished his task to decimate the BJP, by chipping away a few percentage of votes. In the last elections, the BJP had secured nearly one per cent votes less than Congress but still managed to bag 30 seats more than it.

07:56 Counting of votes gets underway in Karnataka

The counting of votes to decide the fate of the Karnataka legislative assembly has just commenced.

Counting commenced first at the Hassan centre in Karnataka amidst tight security.

Counting in the rest of the centres will commence in the next 20 minutes.

The fate of 2940 candidates will be decided today.

The trends would become clear by around 11 am and the results would most likely be known by noon.

04:02 No easy answers on Syria, Obama says

President Obama on Tuesday defended his cautious response to evidence that the Syrian government had used chemical weapons on its citizens, saying that he could not make high-stakes decisions based on a "perceived' use of those weapons.

Mr. Obama, who last summer declared that the use of chemical weapons would cross a "red line' and trigger an unspecified American response, said the evidence of such use was not conclusive enough to require action or enable him to mobilize American allies behind a response.

A natural gas tanker truck lost control and exploded on a highway lined by homes in the Mexico City suburb of Ecatepec early Tuesday, killing at least 20 people and injuring nearly three dozen, according to the Citizen Safety Department of Mexico State, which surrounds Mexico City.

Officials did not rule out the possibility the death toll could rise more as emergency workers continued sifting through the charred remains of vehicles and homes built near the highway on the northern edge of the metropolis.

02:55 Egypt's brotherhood gains more power

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi swore in new cabinet ministers Tuesday in a reshuffle of his government that strengthened the position of the Muslim Brotherhood in key ministries and provoked complaints from the nation's disparate opposition.

Members of the opposition had demanded that Mr. Morsi form a more inclusive government'"one including liberals, moderates, Coptic Christians and women'"ahead of parliamentary elections due to take place later this year.

They also sought the removal of Prime Minister Hisham Qandil, who is viewed by his critics as lacking political experience and charisma.

02:54 At least 42 dead in Nigeria extremist attacks

Authorities in northeast Nigeria say at least 42 people have been killed in a coordinated attacks by Islamic extremists that also allowed 105 prisoners to escape.

The violence occurred Tuesday in multiple locations in Bama, a town repeatedly hit by fighters in Nigeria's Borno state. Authorities say extremists used multiple heavy machine guns and "anti-aircraft" weapons.

01:40 Philippines volcano spews ash

Four German tourists and one of their Filipino guides were killed Tuesday when one of thePhilippines' most active volcanoes started spewing large rocks and ash, officials said.

The group was climbing the Mayon volcano when an explosion happened at about 8 a.m., lasting just over a minute, the Philippines' National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in a statement.

Rocks "as big as a living room' came raining down, guide Kenneth Jesalva told ABS-CBN TV, according to the Associated Press.

US President Barack Obama and South Korea's new leader today plotted the next moves on North Korea amid signs that the bellicose regime has stepped back from the brink as it faces growing pressure.

On her first foreign trip since her election as Northeast Asia's first woman leader, President Park Geun-Hye is seeking both a show of unity and to keep momentum in South Korea's drive to build an outsized role in world affairs.

Israel is not getting involved in Syria's civil war, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon said today, just days after two Israeli air strikes near Damascus sent regional tensions soaring.

The raids struck several military targets in the early hours of Friday and Sunday, with a senior Israeli source saying they destroyed Iranian missiles en route to Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese Shiite movement allied to Damascus.

Israel routinely refuses to relate to such reports, with Yaalon's remarks the first official comment, albeit indirect, on the strikes.

Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi held talks with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday and said it was time to dissuade Israel from carrying out attacks such as its air strikes on Syria over the past week.

"The time has come to dissuade the Israeli occupier from carrying out such aggression against the peoples of the region," he said, quoted by Syrian television after his arrival in Damascus on a previously unannounced visit.

"Iran stands at the side of Syria in the face of Israeli aggression, whose aim is to damage the security of the region and weaken the axis of resistance," said Salehi, whose country is a close ally of Damascus.

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