News / Author / Vikram Gopal

Vikram Gopal

Vikram Gopal is Hindustan Times’ state correspondent for Karnataka.

Articles by Vikram Gopal

BJP leaders feel discontent over exclusion from Karnataka cabinet

Thippa Reddy, a four-time lawmaker from Chitradurga, said he was surprised and pained over his exclusion.

Several ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers expressed displeasure over their exclusion from Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa’s cabinet after its expansion with the induction of 17 ministers into it on Tuesday.(ANI Photo)

india news

Updated on Aug 21, 2019 12:15 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Chandrayaan 2 in lunar orbit, ISRO chief’s focus is ‘terrifying’ Sept 7 move

Chandrayaan-2: Briefing the media, Sivan said there will four more manouevres to reduce the orbit and on September 2 the lander will be separated from the orbiter.

Sriharikota: India’s second Moon mission Chandrayaan-2 lifts off onboard GSLV Mk III-M1 launch vehicle from Satish Dhawan Space Center at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, Monday, July 22, 2019.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Jun 17, 2020 10:21 PM IST

Chennai | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka Cabinet expansion: In Yediyurappa’s cabinet sealed at midnight, Lingayats get pride of place

Karnataka Cabinet expansion: The list of ministers, approved by party president Amit Shah, took time reaching Bengaluru and caused some unnerving moments for MLAs, who found it hard to second guess the central leadership

The Karnataka Cabinet composition also indicated that the BJP was willing to reward the Lingayat community, which supports the BJP to a large extent, as it had eight Lingayats including Yediyurappa.(Vipin Kumar/HT File PHOTO)

india news

Updated on Aug 20, 2019 11:17 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Deve Gowda writes to PM Modi, asks for immediate release of relief funds

Since August 1, 42 people have lost their lives across the state, 12 people are missing and around 5.81 lakh people have been displaced after heavy rains and high inflow of water from neighbouring Maharashtra inundated large parts of the northern districts of Karnataka.

Around 5.81 lakh people have been displaced after heavy rains and high inflow of water from neighbouring Maharashtra inundated large parts of Karnataka.(ANI PHOTO.)

india news

Updated on Aug 12, 2019 09:20 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Massive relief and rescue operations on in flood-hit Kerala, Karnataka

Forty-two people have died in Kerala so far while 24 people have lost their lives in the floods in Karnataka.

NDRF personnel help move flood victims to safer areas in Wayanad district in Kerala.(AP)

india news

Published on Aug 10, 2019 03:50 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Thiruvananthapuram/Bengaluru | ByRamesh Babu and Vikram Gopal

Under fire for Delhi trip as Kartanaka reels under flood, Yediyurappa rushes back

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa had come under fire from the opposition for his trip to Delhi at a time when many parts of the state were flooded.

Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa leaves after paying his last respects to former Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj at her residence at in New Delhi on Wednesday.(Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

cities

Updated on Aug 07, 2019 07:14 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Heavy rains across Karnataka hit bus, train services

Problems related to the heavy rains in northern Karnataka have been compounded by the huge amount of water inflow into dams on the Krishna River.

NH4 at Sankeshwar in Belagavi district.(Vikram Gopal/HT image)

states

Updated on Aug 06, 2019 03:06 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Former Karnataka Congress ministers angle for party posts

On June 19, the Congress dissolved all committees of the state unit, and removed all office-bearers, except state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao and working president Eshwar Khandre.

The Congress is undergoing a mini crisis, as was proved when 14 of its MLAs turned rebels. (AFP Photo)

india news

Updated on Aug 03, 2019 09:51 AM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Congress bypoll preparations hint at end of coalition with JD(S)

Of the 17 constituencies, there are many where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which assumed office after the coalition’s ouster, is a marginal force and the Congress and JD(S) are the main contenders.

The Congress’s apparent decision to part ways with the JD (S) comes after the partners’ dismal performance in the recent parliamentary elections, in which they managed to win only one each of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state.(HT Photo)

india news

Updated on Aug 02, 2019 07:49 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

CCD founder VG Siddhartha’s body recovered

Early on Tuesday morning, a few fishermen saw Siddhartha’s body floating near the Hoige Bazar area of Mangaluru, a short distance away from where Siddhartha, 59, is believed to have jumped into the river from the Netravathi Bridge.

A manhunt had been launched on Monday to locate Siddhartha, who went missing after alighting from his car and asking his driver to wait for him at the end of the bridge.(Mint Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 31, 2019 11:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

CCD names interim chairman, will probe red flags in Siddhartha’s ‘letter’

Ranganath was a non-executive independent director at the company and Bagamane is director on the board of a company subsidiary, Tanglin Developments Ltd.

The board did not confirm the authenticity of a widely-circulated letter that VG Siddhartha had purportedly written but decided to have it thoroughly investigated.(Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint)

india news

Updated on Jun 07, 2020 03:24 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

CCD founder VG Siddhartha to be cremated this evening in Chickamagaluru

The coffee baron’s body was found floating in Mangaluru’s Nethravathi river this morning, two days after he went missing from a bridge over the river.

VG Siddhartha, Café Coffee Day founder and son-in-law of SM Krishna.(Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint)

india news

Updated on Jul 31, 2019 12:01 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVikram Gopal

CCD owner VG Siddhartha’s body found near Mangaluru river 2 days after he went missing

A fisherman had claimed to have seen a man likely to be Siddhartha jumping into the Netravathi river from the bridge on Monday evening, police had said on Tuesday.

The 60-year-old Siddhartha had gone missing since Monday evening from the road bridge between Ullal and Mangaluru over the river around 7pm, his driver Basavaraj Patil told the police.(AFP photo)

india news

Updated on Jun 06, 2020 09:01 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Exclusive | Ex-CM of Karnataka Kumaraswamy on what led to the fall of his government

Former Karnataka CM says invisible forces had worked to ensure the coalition didn’t survive.

Former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy(PTI photo)

cities

Updated on Jul 31, 2019 09:27 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Cafe Coffee Day founder missing, search effort on

According to the driver, who drove him to Mangaluru from Bengaluru on Monday, Siddhartha alighted from the car on the bridge and asked the driver to wait for him at the end of the bridge as he wanted to walk.

VG Siddhartha, the founder of the Café Coffee Day chain, has been missing since Sunday.(PTI Photo)

india news

Published on Jul 31, 2019 12:03 AM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal and Venkatesha Babu

BJP’s Vishweshwar Kageri to be new Karnataka Assembly Speaker

Vishweshwar Kageri is set to become the new Speaker of the Karnataka assembly following the resignation of KR Ramesh Kumar of the Congress.

BJP MLA Vishweshwar Kageri (secodn from left) was the only one who filed his nomination with Assembly secretary MK Vishalakshi.(HT PHOTO)

india news

Published on Jul 30, 2019 08:38 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

CCD founder VG Siddhartha missing, told driver he’d walk near Mangaluru bridge

VG Siddhartha’s driver told the police that they were entering the city when he told him to take the car to the bridge.

VG Siddhartha, chairman of Coffee Day Enterprises that runs Cafe Coffee Day outlets. Photo by Priyanka Parashar/Mint(Photo: Priyanka Parashar/Mint)

india news

Updated on Jun 06, 2020 08:29 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Rebels blame Congress for Karnataka political crisis

Karnataka speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Sunday disqualified 14 of the rebel lawmakers. He had earlier on July 25 disqualified three lawmakers, including an Independent.

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah meets rebel Congress MLA Ramlinga Reddy (R) in Bengaluru.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Jul 30, 2019 05:16 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

BS Yediyurappa wins floor test, Karnataka speaker resigns

The House was adjourned till Wednesday, when the new speaker will be elected. The BJP has confirmed that senior leader KG Bopaiah will be its nominee.

The BJP was expected to sail through the trust vote after Kumar disqualified 17 rebel legislators, whose absence during a trust vote last week toppled the coalition government, on Sunday. In the truncated assembly of strength 208, the new halfway mark was 105 – the exact number of MLAs the BJP has.(ANI Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 29, 2019 11:48 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

I resign, says Karnataka Speaker with a parting shot, and an apology

Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Monday announced his decision to step down moments after the state’s freshly-minted Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa cleared the trust vote by a voice vote.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar’s announcement comes a day after he disqualified 14 more lawmakers from the assembly.(PTI photo)

india news

Updated on Jun 06, 2020 08:28 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

‘Confident’ Yediyurappa all set for Karnataka floor test. A look at numbers

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who is set to prove his majority in assembly today, exuded confidence that he would sail through the test and started his day with a visit to a temple.

BJP leader B S Yeddyurappa his during swearing in ceremony as Karnataka Chief Minister, at Raj Bhavan in Bengaluru, Friday, July 26, 2019.(PTI photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 29, 2019 10:32 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

‘Speaker took the decision to disqualify in a hurry’: A H Vishwanath

“Speaker should have looked at why we resigned. We have already spoken that there is demoniacal politics in Karnataka. A government cannot be formed for the benefit of one family. He did not take any of this into account,” A H Vishwanath said.

A H Vishwanath, a former JD (S) state president and one of the disqualified lawmakers.(PTI Photo)

states

Updated on Jul 29, 2019 12:38 PM IST

ByVikram Gopal

With 14 MLAs disqualified, Karnataka Speaker blunts BJP’s counterblow

Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s disqualification order does, however, end any possibility that some of the 14 rebels could be persuaded by the Congress-JDS team to change their mind at a later date and vote against the freshly minted chief minister BS Yediyurappa.

Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar had disqualified three rebels last week and kept disqualification petitions for others pending. This was a message to the 14 that they too would be disqualified from returning to the assembly for its remaining term if they did not fall in line. (ANI Photo)

india news

Updated on Jun 06, 2020 06:29 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka speaker KR Ramesh Kumar disqualifies 14 rebel MLAs ahead of Yediyurappa govt’s trust vote tomorrow

Karnataka speaker KR Ramesh Kumar announced the disqualification of the MLAs at a press conference in Bengaluru.

india news

Updated on Jul 28, 2019 02:52 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

‘Rumours’: Kumaraswamy, Deve Gowda rule out lending support to BJP in Karnataka

The JD(S)-Congress coalition government was toppled on Tuesday after it lost the floor test called by HD Kumaraswamy following the resignations of 15 rebel MLAs.

The Janata Dal (Secular), or JD(S), is staring at a fresh problem days after losing power in Karnataka.(ANI Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 28, 2019 10:03 AM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

BS Yediyurappa sworn in as Karnataka CM, floor test on Monday

Yediyurappa, who has reverted to the older spelling of his name from the Yeddyurappa he used between 2007 and now, will face a confidence motion on Monday during a special session called to prove his government’s majority.

BS Yediyurappa took oath as the 23rd chief minister of Karnataka on Friday, beginning his fourth stint in the office days after the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition lost the floor of the House.(AFP photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 27, 2019 12:15 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

BJP plans to move confidence motion on Monday, says Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa

Though the BJP was able to topple the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government on Tuesday, it will be in a tricky position as no decision has been taken about most of the rebel MLAs whose resignations triggered the coalition collapse.

Senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), B.S. Yediyurappa .(AFP)

india news

Updated on Jul 27, 2019 08:25 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

JD(S) MLAs press Kumaraswamy to extend support to BJP

Speaking to the press after the meeting, former minister GT Deve Gowda said that the pro-BJP faction was very vocal.

At a meeting at the Taj West End Hotel here, where Kumaraswamy is staying, two factions emerged within the JD(S). One faction was content with sitting in the opposition, while the other sought to extend support to the BJP.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Jul 26, 2019 11:49 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Yediyurappa, set to face floor test on Monday, says ‘will forgive and forget’

Yediyurappa’s BJP has 105 MLAs in the state Assembly with current strength of 222 MLAs. The half-way mark after yesterday’s disqualification of three Congress MLAs has come down to 112.

Senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), B.S. Yediyurappa (C), flashes the victory sign to his supporters and party workers prior to his swearing for the fourth time as the Karnataka Chief Minister on July 26, 2019.(AFP photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 26, 2019 09:13 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Yeddyurappa preps for oath, changes spelling again on astrologer’s advice

Yediyurappa’s chance to stake the claim comes on the back of the Congress-Janata Dal(Secular) government’s loss in the floor test on Tuesday.

Karnataka, July 26 (ANI): Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and BJP state President BS Yeddyurappa speaks to media after meeting Governor Vajubhai Vala at Raj Bhawan in Bengaluru on Friday. (ANI Photo)(ANI)

india news

Updated on Jul 26, 2019 04:27 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Copy

Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin

Vikram Gopal

Vikram Gopal is Hindustan Times’ state correspondent for Karnataka.

Thippa Reddy, a four-time lawmaker from Chitradurga, said he was surprised and pained over his exclusion.

Chandrayaan-2: Briefing the media, Sivan said there will four more manouevres to reduce the orbit and on September 2 the lander will be separated from the orbiter.

Karnataka Cabinet expansion: The list of ministers, approved by party president Amit Shah, took time reaching Bengaluru and caused some unnerving moments for MLAs, who found it hard to second guess the central leadership

Since August 1, 42 people have lost their lives across the state, 12 people are missing and around 5.81 lakh people have been displaced after heavy rains and high inflow of water from neighbouring Maharashtra inundated large parts of the northern districts of Karnataka.

Forty-two people have died in Kerala so far while 24 people have lost their lives in the floods in Karnataka.

Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa had come under fire from the opposition for his trip to Delhi at a time when many parts of the state were flooded.

Problems related to the heavy rains in northern Karnataka have been compounded by the huge amount of water inflow into dams on the Krishna River.

On June 19, the Congress dissolved all committees of the state unit, and removed all office-bearers, except state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao and working president Eshwar Khandre.

Of the 17 constituencies, there are many where the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which assumed office after the coalition’s ouster, is a marginal force and the Congress and JD(S) are the main contenders.

Early on Tuesday morning, a few fishermen saw Siddhartha’s body floating near the Hoige Bazar area of Mangaluru, a short distance away from where Siddhartha, 59, is believed to have jumped into the river from the Netravathi Bridge.

Ranganath was a non-executive independent director at the company and Bagamane is director on the board of a company subsidiary, Tanglin Developments Ltd.

The coffee baron’s body was found floating in Mangaluru’s Nethravathi river this morning, two days after he went missing from a bridge over the river.

A fisherman had claimed to have seen a man likely to be Siddhartha jumping into the Netravathi river from the bridge on Monday evening, police had said on Tuesday.

Former Karnataka CM says invisible forces had worked to ensure the coalition didn’t survive.

According to the driver, who drove him to Mangaluru from Bengaluru on Monday, Siddhartha alighted from the car on the bridge and asked the driver to wait for him at the end of the bridge as he wanted to walk.

Vishweshwar Kageri is set to become the new Speaker of the Karnataka assembly following the resignation of KR Ramesh Kumar of the Congress.

VG Siddhartha’s driver told the police that they were entering the city when he told him to take the car to the bridge.

Karnataka speaker K R Ramesh Kumar on Sunday disqualified 14 of the rebel lawmakers. He had earlier on July 25 disqualified three lawmakers, including an Independent.

The House was adjourned till Wednesday, when the new speaker will be elected. The BJP has confirmed that senior leader KG Bopaiah will be its nominee.

Karnataka Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Monday announced his decision to step down moments after the state’s freshly-minted Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa cleared the trust vote by a voice vote.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who is set to prove his majority in assembly today, exuded confidence that he would sail through the test and started his day with a visit to a temple.

“Speaker should have looked at why we resigned. We have already spoken that there is demoniacal politics in Karnataka. A government cannot be formed for the benefit of one family. He did not take any of this into account,” A H Vishwanath said.

Speaker Ramesh Kumar’s disqualification order does, however, end any possibility that some of the 14 rebels could be persuaded by the Congress-JDS team to change their mind at a later date and vote against the freshly minted chief minister BS Yediyurappa.

Karnataka speaker KR Ramesh Kumar announced the disqualification of the MLAs at a press conference in Bengaluru.

The JD(S)-Congress coalition government was toppled on Tuesday after it lost the floor test called by HD Kumaraswamy following the resignations of 15 rebel MLAs.

Yediyurappa, who has reverted to the older spelling of his name from the Yeddyurappa he used between 2007 and now, will face a confidence motion on Monday during a special session called to prove his government’s majority.

Though the BJP was able to topple the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) government on Tuesday, it will be in a tricky position as no decision has been taken about most of the rebel MLAs whose resignations triggered the coalition collapse.

Speaking to the press after the meeting, former minister GT Deve Gowda said that the pro-BJP faction was very vocal.

Yediyurappa’s BJP has 105 MLAs in the state Assembly with current strength of 222 MLAs. The half-way mark after yesterday’s disqualification of three Congress MLAs has come down to 112.

Yediyurappa’s chance to stake the claim comes on the back of the Congress-Janata Dal(Secular) government’s loss in the floor test on Tuesday.

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like