A leaf out of hegdes book

In some aspects of his functioning,Karnatakas new Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah

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In some aspects of his functioning,Karnatakas new Congress chief minister Siddaramaiah is modelling himself on late Janata Party chief minister Ramakrishna Hegde. Siddaramaiah,who served as a young minister in Hegdes Janata Party between 1985 and 1989,intends to emulate the janata darshan programs one-to-one meetings with people started during Hegdes days to directly address peoples problems. Siddaramaiah has revived another practice started by Hegde,that of holding early morning meetings with the chief secretary and the state police chief for updates on events of the previous day and the day ahead.

Legislators revive a feasting tradition

After a lapse of nearly four years,ruling party politicians in Karnataka have resumed an old tradition of hosting large banquets for the 300-odd members of the state legislature during the course of sessions. Abandoned in 2009 as an austerity measure in the wake of a massive flood in the northern districts,the lunch banquets returned recently during the first legislature session under the new Congress government. Two ministers with deep pockets M B Patil,the water resources minister who is an educationist from the backward Bijapur district,and R V Deshpande,the minister for higher education hosted the banquets where ruling and opposition party legislators shared camaraderie after battling it out in the legislature.

police suspend officer who booked CMs son

In the run-up to the assembly elections,a police officer had booked a case of attempt to murder and rioting against Chief Minister Siddaramaiahs elder son Rakesh on the complaint of a rival candidate. The officer was placed under suspension by the Mysore police commissioner shortly after Siddaramaiah took over. Rakesh had been booked by inspector G N Mohan on the complaint of Siddalingaswamy,the personal assistant of former BJP chief minister B S Yeddyurappa. After the elections,the commissioner found the inspector had registered the complaint without ascertaining facts. Siddaramaiah,a former lawyer,said,The practice of registering all complaints by ruling MLAs must go. Complaints must be ascertained.

Sulking Congressman skips oath function

Senior Karnataka Congress leader D K Shivakumar,in an apparent sulk over not being inducted into the new Congress cabinet,did not take oath with other newly elected legislators during the recent legislature session. Shivakumar,a Vokkaliga leader,who had been visiting various religious sites around south India over the past month,returned to Bangalore after the legislature session ended and took his oath in private in the speakers chambers. The former Congress working president is widely believed to have been disciplined for not actively working for the party while in opposition.