Ananth Kumar de facto CM?

Who is the Chief Minister of Karnataka in the aftermath of the political crisis in the ruling BJP in the state?

Who is the Chief Minister of Karnataka in the aftermath of the political crisis in the ruling BJP in the state? According to the Opposition Congress,it is not B S Yeddyurappa who survived a fortnight-long rebellion to oust him,but BJP national general secretary H N Ananth Kumar. Ananth Kumar,who has been at the forefront during inaugurations of flood relief programmes around the northern parts of the state,ever since the political crisis was brought under control on November 8,is going around as if he is the CM,state Congress president R V Deshpande said recently. Is he the de facto chief minister? Is he the chief minister designate? Is he training to take over? Deshpande said with reference to the clout the BJP general secretary seems to be wielding in the Karnataka government. According to the Karnataka Congress working president D K Shivakumar,the BJP general secretary,who is an MP from Bangalore,must make it clear as to the capacity in which he was attending the opening of flood relief activities around the state.

Pay for Morning walk at famous Bangalore parks

A proposal by the horticulture department of the state government to introduce a paid access system for all users,including morning walkers,at two of Bangalores signature public parks Cubbon Park and the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens has resulted in an uproar. The department has proposed an electronic access card at Rs 200 per annum for daily users entering these parks between 5.30 am and 8.30 am. Morning walkers have come out to hold protests against the proposal. NGOs are seeing the initiative as an attempt to keep these spaces out of reach of the poor and underprivileged.

Urban bodies polls a test for all parties

Another set of polls are around the corner in Karnataka this time to 25 seats in the state legislative council to be elected from urban local bodies and the Congress and the JDS have decided to drop all pretences and go in jointly against the might of the ruling BJP. The Congress has decided to contest in 17 seats,leaving the others to the JDS. In the outgoing council,comprising 75 members,the Congress and the BJP were had 28 each with the JDS holding 13 seats. Out of the 25 seats going to polls on December 18,the Congress has 19,the BJP four ,JDS one and one is vacant.

Drop in HIV cases in the state,thanks to ngos

Sustained measures,driven primarily through the non-governmental and voluntary organisation sector,working in the state,seem to have managed to arrest the spread of HIV infections in Karnataka over the last five years. According to the recent HIV Sentinel Surveillance data for antenatal clinics in the state,the prevalence rate of HIV infection has dropped from the 1.86 per cent in 2003 to 0.86 for 2007-08. On the World AIDS Day,it is surely a good news for the state.