Excise duty on petrol, diesel likely to be cut ahead of Assembly polls in 5 states

From shocking sex scandals to high-profile scams and intense factional power struggles, Karnataka's political landscape in 2024 played out like a gripping thriller. The state's three dominant parties—Congress, BJP, and JD(S)—found themselves entangled in controversies, scandals, and unexpected alliances, keeping the political stage turbulent throughout the year.

Shocking Hassan Sex Scandal Hits JD(S)
The JD(S) faced a monumental crisis with the Hassan sex scandal involving its MP Prajwal Revanna. Allegations of sexual exploitation surfaced through pen drives containing incriminating videos, sending shockwaves across the nation. Revanna fled the country but was arrested on May 31 upon his return. The scandal not only embarrassed the JD(S) but also led to the party losing its stronghold in Hassan, a seat it had held since 1999.

Congress' Struggles with Scams and Infighting
The Congress, riding high after its 2023 Assembly poll victory, faced a series of setbacks. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s reputation as “Mr. Clean” was tarnished by allegations in the MUDA site-allotment scam, for which he is under court-ordered investigation. The Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation Limited scam also led to the resignation and arrest of Minister B Nagendra.

Adding to the Congress' woes, the BJP spotlighted a controversial marking of farmers' lands as Waqf properties, further intensifying the political storm. However, the Congress bounced back by sweeping three critical by-elections in Channapatna, Shiggaon, and Sandur, silencing critics and bolstering support for its flagship guarantee schemes.

BJP-JD(S) Alliance: A Rocky Path
The BJP and JD(S), forced into an alliance after 16 years, saw relative success in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. While the BJP won 17 of the 25 seats it contested, the JD(S) secured two seats, enabling its state president H D Kumaraswamy to join the Modi 3.0 Cabinet.

However, the BJP faced its own internal strife, with factional tensions erupting after the appointment of B Y Vijayendra, son of B S Yediyurappa, as the state party president. MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal openly criticized Vijayendra’s leadership, earning a show-cause notice. Adding to the BJP’s troubles were sexual assault allegations against Yediyurappa and MLA Munirathna, which tarnished the party's image.

Power Tussle within Congress
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar’s ambitions for the top post grabbed headlines after a controversial interview where he hinted at an "agreement" for chief ministership. While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah denied such an arrangement, Shivakumar’s comments reignited debates about factionalism within the Congress.

Legislative Drama and Bitter Exchanges
The year ended with heated debates in the Belagavi session. The BJP cornered the Congress on the Waqf land issue, while Congress countered with statistical defenses. Tensions flared when Women and Child Development Minister Laxmi Hebbalkar accused BJP leader C T Ravi of using derogatory language against her, leading to Ravi's arrest and subsequent bail.

Karnataka in 2024 was a year of intense political drama, marked by scandals, power struggles, and shifting alliances—offering a preview of the state's evolving political dynamics in the years to come.

Mangaluru, Jan 2: The coastal city of Mangaluru witnessed yet another alarming car fire incident last evening, marking the latest in a series of similar mishaps in recent months. Fortunately, quick action by the driver and passengers prevented any injuries.

On January 1, a moving Volkswagen car caught fire on the road leading to the helipad at Maryhill. The passengers noticed flames emanating from the front of the vehicle. Acting promptly, the driver pulled over, and all four occupants exited safely.

Local residents attempted to douse the flames using water, and personnel from the Kadri fire service soon arrived to manage the situation. Despite their efforts, the car's engine was completely destroyed.

This incident adds to a growing list of car fire cases reported in Mangaluru recently:

December 16, 2024: A Hyundai car caught fire near City Centre Mall. The driver narrowly escaped.

November 15, 2024: A car was gutted within minutes near Kadri police station, though the driver escaped unharmed.

November 10, 2024: A Maruti 800 waiting at a petrol station caught fire and was completely burnt.

September 28, 2024: A parked BMW at Adyar was destroyed in a fire.

September 5, 2024: Another BMW caught fire near NITK.

In all these incidents, timely evacuation ensured that no injuries were reported. However, the frequency of such cases raises serious concerns about vehicle safety and the need for preventive measures.

Authorities and vehicle manufacturers must investigate the underlying causes of these fires to prevent future occurrences. Public awareness about vehicle maintenance and safety measures is also critical to avert such mishaps.

Mandya: A 21-year-old man died after he allegedly blew himself up with a gelatin stick in front of the house of a girl he was in love with after her family rejected him, police said on Monday.

The incident occurred at Kalenahalli village of Mandya district on early Sunday morning, they said.

According to police, Ramachandra was in a relationship with a minor girl. Last year, he was booked under Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act after he eloped with the girl. He was arrested in the case and spent three months in jail as an under-trial.

After getting released from jail, he entered into a compromise with the girl's family and the case was refuted in the court. But later, he started calling the girl and continued to maintain his relationship with her, police said.

Apparently, the girl's family was planning to get the girl married to someone else once she attained the legal age, a senior police officer said.

Ramachandra, a resident of a neighbouring village in Nagamangala taluk was allegedly upset with the girl's family for rejecting him. Suddenly on Sunday, he reached in front of the minor girl's house and detonated the gelatin stick he carried with him and the explosion claimed his life on the spot, the officer added.

Based on the complaint from the deceased person's family, calling it suspicious death, a case has been registered, police said. His family was in quarrying business and that's how he got access to gelatin stick, police said.