News / Author / Vikram Gopal

Vikram Gopal

Vikram Gopal is Hindustan Times’ state correspondent for Karnataka.

Articles by Vikram Gopal

Karnataka crisis deepens as two more MLAs resign

On Wednesday, Karnataka’s government received a fresh jolt when two more MLAs handed over their resignations.

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah leaves the chamber of Minister KJ George, where Congress leaders kept the rebel MLA K Sudhakar, in Bengaluru, Wednesday, July 10, 2019.(PTI photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 10, 2019 11:52 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

‘Man-made disaster’: How Karnataka coalition unravelled

About six months before the current crisis, a similar one played out as MLAs from the two coalition partners tried to defect to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

(From left) GT Deve Gowda, Milind Deora, Karnataka minister DK Shivakumar and Sanjay Nirupam in Mumbai on Wednesday.(Satish Bate/HT Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 11, 2019 11:03 AM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Rebel Cong MLA manhandled after quitting seat. Kidnapped, says Yeddyurappa

Karnataka political crisis: As the Congress stepped up the effort to keep Karnataka’s ruling coalition from sinking, two more party lawmakers handed over their resignation letters to the Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday.

Karnataka, July 10 (ANI): BJP State President B S Yeddyurappa speaks to media after meeting the Governor, in Bengaluru on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 10, 2019 08:10 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVenkatesha Babu and Vikram Gopal

Karnataka suspense lingers as speaker sends back resignations of 8 MLAs

The Speaker, who returned to Bengaluru on Tuesday after an outstation trip, said eight of the 13 MLAs who resigned last week did not submitted their letters in the prescribed format, and would have to personally furnish fresh resignation letters.

Karnataka Legislative Assembly Speaker Ramesh Kumar interacting with media as he arrives at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru on Tuesday. All 13 MLAs – 10 from the Congress and three from the JD(S) -- submitted their resignations to the speaker’s office last week, threatening the government’s slim majority in the 224-member assembly.(ANI Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 10, 2019 12:02 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka govt gets a breather. 8 resignation letters don’t meet Speaker’s bar

Karnataka political crisis: Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said he would need to be convinced that the resignations sent by Congress and JDS legislators were “voluntary and genuine”.

KR Ramesh Kumar, the Karnataka Assembly Speaker could well end up deciding the fate of the HD Kumaraswamy government on Tuesday.(HT Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 09, 2019 04:05 PM IST

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka coalition hangs by thread, 2 more MLAs exit

Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and top coalition leaders scrambled to save the government with multiple meetings through the day and announced that all 32 ministers had resigned in a bid to make room for some of the disgruntled leaders.

The rebels had said they felt sidelined and wanted to back the BJP.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Jul 08, 2019 11:42 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

New Cabinet soon, tweets Kumaraswamy after Congress, JDS ministers resign

Karnataka Government Crisis: All ministers have sent their resignations to make space in the HD Kumaraswamy cabinet to accomodate rebel MLAs.

Karnataka government crisis: Congress and JDS ministers in the Kumaraswamy government has sent their resignations to help coalition government survive the latest crisis. (ANI photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 08, 2019 06:09 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka crisis: Kumaraswamy govt loses support of another MLA, could lose majority too

H Nagesh’s withdrawal of support implies that the Kumaraswamy government was likely to lose its majority status once the Speaker accepts the resignation of 12 Congress lawmakers who put down their papers last week.

H Nagesh, an Independent legislator who was inducted into the HD Kumaraswamy council of ministers in June, has quit the Karnataka government.(ANI File Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 08, 2019 12:29 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka coalition leaders in a huddle as rebel MLAs stand resolute

On Saturday, nine Congress and three JD(S) MLAs had submitted their resignations to the Speaker’s office and then held a meeting with Governor Vajubhai Vala before the nine of them left for Mumbai by a special flight.

On the day after the resignations, it emerged that there were two factions among the rebel MLAs. One faction was of the nine MLAs in Mumbai and the other was of Reddy, ST Somashekhar and BA Basavaraj. (ANI photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 08, 2019 08:30 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Karnataka/Mumbai | ByVikram Gopal

Cong-JD (S) coalition in Karnataka on verge of collapse after 12 MLAs resign

Out of the 12 legislators who submitted their resignations to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, nine were from the Congress and three from the JD(S).

Speaker Ramesh Kumar told reporters at his residence that the MLAs had not sought an appointment and, hence, he left his office to attend to some private business.(PTI PHOTO.)

india news

Updated on Jul 06, 2019 11:16 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal, Bengaluru

Karnataka government teeters on the brink after 11 MLAs resign

The latest spate of resignations came at a time when Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is in the United States.

Eight Congress and three JD(S ) MLAs at the Assembly Speaker’s office on Saturday.(ANI photo)

india news

Updated on May 29, 2020 04:57 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

SIT arrests official who allegedly took bribe for giving clean chit to IMA

The I Monetary Advisory (IMA) is accused of cheating investors to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore.

Investors register their complaints against IMA (I Monetary Advisory) jewellery fraud at a temporary police post set up at Shivajinagar, in Bengaluru.(PTI)

india news

Published on Jul 05, 2019 08:51 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Deve Gowda names grandson Janata Dal (S) youth wing chief

After the poor showing by the Congress-JD(S) coalition in the Lok Sabha polls, where they won one seat each of the 28 constituencies in the state, Deve Gowda had vowed to rebuild his party.

Nikhil said that he was surprised to receive a call at 11 am on Thursday asking him to take up the post.(PTI)

india news

Published on Jul 04, 2019 11:18 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

It was a surprise, says Deve Gowda’s grandson on elevation in JDS overhaul

HD Deve Gowda’s comments on Thursday came as he inducted new leaders, HK Kumaraswamy and Nikhil Kumaraswamy to the party’s top team.

The JDS and the Congress, which joined hands after the 2018 state elections to form the government, had contested the Lok Sabha elections as a team but the two parties ended up with just one seat each.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Jul 04, 2019 05:34 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

‘Offered ₹40 crore by BJP to switch sides’: JD(S) legislator in Karnataka

In the past also, legislators of the coalition have alleged that they had been approached by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party with offers of cash and ministership in a future BJP government if they resigned from their post. Several audio clips have been released by members of the ruling coalition, purportedly of BJP leaders trying to poach MLAs.

JD(S) Periyapatna MLA K Mahadev has claimed that he was offered <span class='webrupee'>₹</span>40 crore by the BJP to switch sides.(BLOOMBERG)

india news

Updated on Jul 04, 2019 07:46 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

We know how to respond, says Cong as Karnataka govt teeters on the brink

The resignations came on a day when chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of the JD (S) was on a personal visit of the United States but senior leaders of the Congress went into a huddle at former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s residence to take stock of the situation.

india news

Updated on Jul 02, 2019 12:12 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Cong heads into crisis after 2 MLAs quit, Siddaramaiah goes for a headcount

Kumaraswamy, who is holidaying in the United States, blamed the BJP for the exit of lawmakers from his alliance partner, Congress’s party, but underscored that the BJP’s effort to get lawmakers to cross sides and pull down his government would remain a dream.

The BJP has 104 seats in the assembly as against 78 of the Congress – after accounting for the two resignations today - and 37 of the JDS. The BSP and an Independent lawmaker also support the coalition.(PTI file photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 01, 2019 07:12 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Congress MLA Anand Singh resigns from Karnataka Assembly, shocks party

Anand Singh’s resignation has sparked buzz that a few more Congress lawmakers who have been unhappy with the coalition and the party’s state leadership could also step down.

Anand Singh, the Congress legislator and former Karnataka ministeron Monday announced that he had quit his seat.(ANI Photo)

india news

Updated on Jul 01, 2019 04:06 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Deve Gowda begins to rebuild JD(S) with a Dalit president, padayatras

The reason Deve Gowda harked back to the past was the crushing defeat his Janata Dal (Secular) faced in the recent Lok Sabha, where it won just one of the seven seats it contested – Deve Gowda, too, could not manage a victory in the Tumakuru seat – and recorded its lowest ever vote share in the state of 9.67%.

The trails for the padayatras will be between two rivers to symbolise the unity of the state through its water, a pet theme of Deve Gowda’s since his time as irrigation minister in the state in the 1980s.(HT FILE PHOTO.)

india news

Updated on Jun 30, 2019 10:33 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka Assembly’s monsoon session set to begin on July 12

A senior Congress minister said the coalition was well aware of the likely dissidence that might crop up during the session.

The coalition is bracing itself for the session with renewed confidence that with the induction of the two Independent MLAs – H Nagesh and R Shankar – into the state Cabinet it had stymied any possible attempt by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to topple the alliance.(PTI PHOTO.)

india news

Updated on Jun 28, 2019 09:37 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka may ban construction of new flats in Bengaluru for 5 years

Many buildings were being constructed in Bengaluru without paying any attention to the basic amenities required for residents, said deputy chief minister.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson S Prakash said the statement showed the incompetence of the state government in ensuring that new projects adhered to norms. (HT file)

india news

Updated on Jun 28, 2019 07:21 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Officials try to put the pieces together in K’taka’s IMA case

Documents available with the Registrar of Companies, which were accessed by HT, show the companies Bengaluru-based IMA ran did not earn enough profits to pay back investors. In fact, contrary to Khan’s claim, no companies of his had been registered with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs before 2013, when IMA Private Limited was registered.

Fugitive IMA Group of Companies managing director, Mohammed Mansoor Khan. (Youtube)

india news

Updated on Jun 27, 2019 08:19 AM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

HAL employees sit on hunger strike to push for wage revision

Under the banner of the All India HAL Trade Union Coordination Committee, elected representatives of the union sat on a strike, threatening to escalate the action and call for an indefinite job walkout if the pay raise offered to workmen was not higher than that given to officers.

Employees of state-run military planemaker Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd staged a relay hunger strike on Tuesday, demanding a fair revision of their wages, alleging “gross discrimination” between executives and ordinary workers in the salary raises offered by the management.(Mohd Zakir/HT PHOTO)

india news

Published on Jun 25, 2019 11:52 PM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Deve Gowda mentions mid-term polls, scares coalition partner Congress

Gowda’s outburst in the morning came a day after news reports had suggested that former chief minister and Gowda’s one-time protégé Siddaramaiah had advised Rahul Gandhi to sever ties with the JD(S) because it was hurting the party.

HD Deve Gowda went on to remind the Congress that his son HD Kumaraswamy became chief minister on their insistence, since he had proposed the name of Mallikarjun Kharge as the chief minister.(HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on Jun 21, 2019 09:03 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Watching how Cong behaves, says Deve Gowda. Then he makes a prophecy

HD Deve Gowda said he had asked the Congress to make Mallikarjun Kharge the chief minister, but it was the Congress that insisted that his son HD Kumaraswamy should become chief minister.

JDS leader HD Deve Gowda reminded the Congress that it was the Rahul Gandhi-led party which had taken the initiative to form the government, not his party.(PTI FILE)

india news

Updated on Jun 21, 2019 02:47 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

After poll setback, Kumaraswamy to tour villages to popularise govt schemes

Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara released a booklet detailing the achievements of the government over the past year, a day ahead of the chief minister kicking off his village visit programmes in Yadgir district.

Additionally, Kumaraswamy said he would ask ministers in the state Cabinet to also separately visit villages across the state to ensure that people benefited from the programmes launched by the government.(Hemant Mishra/Mint)

india news

Updated on Jun 20, 2019 11:44 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Auditor of IMA Jewels arrested in Ponzi investigation

A senior official of the special investigation team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, to probe the matter, said it was still on the lookout for Mansoor Khan, amid reports that he might have fled abroad.

Muslim investors register their complaints against IMA (I Monetary Advisory) jewellery fraud at a temporary police post set up at Shivajinagar, in Bengaluru, Wednesday, June 12, 2019.(PTI)

cities

Published on Jun 15, 2019 01:19 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka govt set to induct 2 independents; Congress dissidents ‘wait and watch’

Through the expansion, the coalition is hoping to further secure its position in the Assembly, as this will mean that it will enjoy the support of 119 of the 224 MLAs in the state, which is six more than the simple majority mark of 113.

The Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition state government is set to induct two Independent MLAs on Friday in a long-awaited cabinet expansion.(HD Kumaraswamy/Twitter)

india news

Updated on Jun 13, 2019 10:59 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

It is a hit job, says Karnataka Congress leader being linked to IMA scandal

In a series of tweets he put out on the day Baig alleged that his name had been dragged into the matter because of his outburst against senior leaders of the Congress last month.

Bengaluru: Muslim investors register their complaints against IMA (I Monetary Advisory) jewellery fraud at a temporary police post set up at Shivajinagar, in Bengaluru, Wednesday, June 12, 2019.(PTI File Photo)

india news

Updated on Jun 12, 2019 11:50 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

‘Hoping to find water’: 10 things to know about Chandrayaan-2

As Chandrayan 2, India’s second moon-mission, will be launched early morning of July 15, here are 10 things to know.

The Rover and the Lander will have a life of one lunar day (14 earth days) and for that lunar day, it will conduct scientific experiments.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Jun 13, 2019 08:33 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Copy

Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin

Vikram Gopal

Vikram Gopal is Hindustan Times’ state correspondent for Karnataka.

On Wednesday, Karnataka’s government received a fresh jolt when two more MLAs handed over their resignations.

About six months before the current crisis, a similar one played out as MLAs from the two coalition partners tried to defect to the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Karnataka political crisis: As the Congress stepped up the effort to keep Karnataka’s ruling coalition from sinking, two more party lawmakers handed over their resignation letters to the Assembly Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday.

The Speaker, who returned to Bengaluru on Tuesday after an outstation trip, said eight of the 13 MLAs who resigned last week did not submitted their letters in the prescribed format, and would have to personally furnish fresh resignation letters.

Karnataka political crisis: Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar said he would need to be convinced that the resignations sent by Congress and JDS legislators were “voluntary and genuine”.

Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and top coalition leaders scrambled to save the government with multiple meetings through the day and announced that all 32 ministers had resigned in a bid to make room for some of the disgruntled leaders.

Karnataka Government Crisis: All ministers have sent their resignations to make space in the HD Kumaraswamy cabinet to accomodate rebel MLAs.

H Nagesh’s withdrawal of support implies that the Kumaraswamy government was likely to lose its majority status once the Speaker accepts the resignation of 12 Congress lawmakers who put down their papers last week.

On Saturday, nine Congress and three JD(S) MLAs had submitted their resignations to the Speaker’s office and then held a meeting with Governor Vajubhai Vala before the nine of them left for Mumbai by a special flight.

Out of the 12 legislators who submitted their resignations to Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar, nine were from the Congress and three from the JD(S).

The latest spate of resignations came at a time when Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is in the United States.

The I Monetary Advisory (IMA) is accused of cheating investors to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore.

After the poor showing by the Congress-JD(S) coalition in the Lok Sabha polls, where they won one seat each of the 28 constituencies in the state, Deve Gowda had vowed to rebuild his party.

HD Deve Gowda’s comments on Thursday came as he inducted new leaders, HK Kumaraswamy and Nikhil Kumaraswamy to the party’s top team.

The resignations came on a day when chief minister HD Kumaraswamy of the JD (S) was on a personal visit of the United States but senior leaders of the Congress went into a huddle at former chief minister Siddaramaiah’s residence to take stock of the situation.

Kumaraswamy, who is holidaying in the United States, blamed the BJP for the exit of lawmakers from his alliance partner, Congress’s party, but underscored that the BJP’s effort to get lawmakers to cross sides and pull down his government would remain a dream.

Anand Singh’s resignation has sparked buzz that a few more Congress lawmakers who have been unhappy with the coalition and the party’s state leadership could also step down.

A senior Congress minister said the coalition was well aware of the likely dissidence that might crop up during the session.

Many buildings were being constructed in Bengaluru without paying any attention to the basic amenities required for residents, said deputy chief minister.

Under the banner of the All India HAL Trade Union Coordination Committee, elected representatives of the union sat on a strike, threatening to escalate the action and call for an indefinite job walkout if the pay raise offered to workmen was not higher than that given to officers.

Gowda’s outburst in the morning came a day after news reports had suggested that former chief minister and Gowda’s one-time protégé Siddaramaiah had advised Rahul Gandhi to sever ties with the JD(S) because it was hurting the party.

HD Deve Gowda said he had asked the Congress to make Mallikarjun Kharge the chief minister, but it was the Congress that insisted that his son HD Kumaraswamy should become chief minister.

Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara released a booklet detailing the achievements of the government over the past year, a day ahead of the chief minister kicking off his village visit programmes in Yadgir district.

A senior official of the special investigation team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, to probe the matter, said it was still on the lookout for Mansoor Khan, amid reports that he might have fled abroad.

Through the expansion, the coalition is hoping to further secure its position in the Assembly, as this will mean that it will enjoy the support of 119 of the 224 MLAs in the state, which is six more than the simple majority mark of 113.

In a series of tweets he put out on the day Baig alleged that his name had been dragged into the matter because of his outburst against senior leaders of the Congress last month.

As Chandrayan 2, India’s second moon-mission, will be launched early morning of July 15, here are 10 things to know.

Join Hindustan Times

Create free account and unlock exciting features like