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Vikram Gopal

Vikram Gopal is Hindustan Times’ state correspondent for Karnataka.

Articles by Vikram Gopal

Chandrayaan-2, India’s second moon mission, to be launched on July 15

ISRO had earlier indicated that it was looking at a 9-16 July launch window with the Moon landing expected to take place on 6 September.

Chandrayan 2 will be launched on July 15, says ISRO(ANI Photo/Twitter)

india news

Updated on Jun 12, 2019 11:47 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka SIT to probe investment scandal

The move comes a day after an audio clip purportedly recording a suicide note by IMA founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan surfaced on social media platforms, sparking panic among investors

The Karnataka government on Tuesday ordered the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) to probe an alleged fraud involving IMA Jewels, an Islamic investment firm.(ANI/Twitter)

india news

Published on Jun 12, 2019 12:04 AM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Girish Karnad: Literature’s doyen, friend, philosopher, and guide to all

Chandrashekhara Kambara, a Jnanpith Award winning playwright and novelist, described his relationship with Karnad, who passed away after a prolonged illness at 81, as an “intellectual jousting competition”.

Girish Karnad’s demise on Monday led to an outpouring of reminiscences from people across political and cultural fields offering their condolence, and remembering their association with the noted Kannada playwright.(HT Archives)

india news

Updated on Jun 11, 2019 11:15 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Two arrested for posting video on Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy

The complaint was filed by the social media cell of the Janata Dal (Secular) and a police officer confirmed that the two had been arrested and sent to judicial custody for 15 days.

The Bengaluru police arrested two persons for allegedly posting a video abusing chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and his son Nikhil.(AP File Photo)

india news

Updated on Jun 10, 2019 04:34 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka coalition to expand state Cabinet on Wednesday

The exercise is seen as an attempt to strengthen the position of the ruling JD(S)-Congress alliance in the wake of its humiliating defeat in the LS poll, in which both just managed to get one seat each.

Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy.(PTI File photo)

india news

Published on Jun 08, 2019 11:56 PM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

In drought-hit Karnataka, government holds prayers for rain

Rationalist Narendra Nayak said if this belief was correct then the state government should have held prayers in January to ensure rains throughout the year instead of conducting the exercise just before the advent of the monsoon.

There has been acute shortage of drinking water across Karnataka and 156 of the 176 taluks in the state have been declared drought hit.(HT File Photo)

india news

Updated on Jun 06, 2019 11:33 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal, Bengaluru

‘Seniors being forced out of Congress’, says Karnataka’s Ramalinga Reddy

In an interview with Vikram Gopal, Reddy says it is natural for senior leaders like him to lose interest in the party if they are overlooked in favour of juniors

Seen here is seven-time Congress MLA from Karnataka Ramalinga Reddy (middle).

india news

Updated on Jun 04, 2019 10:53 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Ahead of Karnataka Cabinet expansion, veteran Cong MLA says seniors ignored

Ramalinga Reddy’s gripe came amid speculation that the coalition might offer two of the three Cabinet vacancies in the state government to Independent MLAs, rather than leaders from within.

Ramalinga Reddy said veterans were sidelined in the coalition government in Karnataka because of the lack of foresight of some Congress ministers.(TWITTER)

india news

Updated on Jun 04, 2019 10:22 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Cong-JD(S) claws back in Karnataka, win majority of municipalities

The Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition in Karnataka won 30 of the urban local bodies out of the 56 for which results were announced on Friday.

Karnataka’s Congress unit chief Dinesh Gundu Rao said the results in the municipal elections showed that the party was strong at the local level.(HT Photo)

india news

Published on May 31, 2019 09:51 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Congress hopes to buy time for Kumaraswamy govt with cabinet expansion

Venugopal held a meeting with CM Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, Congress state president Dinesh Gundu Rao, Congress Legislature Party chief Siddaramaiah and water resources minister DK Shivakumar.

Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah told reporters after attending the meeting that the partners had discussed an expansion of the state Cabinet.(HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on May 29, 2019 07:18 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Police book Kannada editor for ‘defamatory’ report against Gowdas, BJP says it’s emergency in Karnataka

In its complaint, the JD(S) claimed the paper allegedly relied on rumours about an incident that did not occur.

Vishweshwar Bhat, editor-in-chief of Vishwavani said the Karnataka government wants to curb the media.(Facebook)

india news

Updated on May 27, 2019 08:26 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

‘Ready to face polls if ruling coalition dissolves Karnataka government’: BS Yeddyurappa

Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa is basking in the glory of his party’s victories in 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

BJP Karnataka President BS Yeddyurappa(PTI file photo)

elections

Updated on May 26, 2019 07:36 AM IST

Hindustan Times | ByVenkatesha Babu and Vikram Gopal

Lok Sabha election results 2019: Karnataka Congress-Janata Dal decides to battle it out

Kumaraswamy was affected by the verdict as both his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, and his father, HD Deve Gowda, lost the election from Mandya and Tumkur seats, respectively.

On Friday, chief minister HD Kumaraswamy called an informal meeting of the cabinet to discuss the way forward.(HT Photo)

elections

Updated on May 24, 2019 11:39 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Lok Sabha elections 2019: BJP scripts history in K’taka, wins 25 seats

The performance was all the more impressive because the party garnered 51.3% of the vote share, the highest in its history and the highest by any party in the state since the Congress got 57.63% in 1984, according Election Commission data.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) created history on Thursday in Karnataka by winning 25 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats, the highest tally by any party in the state since 1989, when the Congress won 27 seats.(Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

elections

Updated on May 24, 2019 08:41 AM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Mallikarjun Kharge, Deve Gowda, M Veerappa Moily bite the dust

In all three cases, the seniors were hit by dissension from within the ranks.

The saffron party won 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats when results were declared on Thursday.(ANI)

elections

Updated on May 24, 2019 02:56 PM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Political giants routed in Karnataka as BJP makes clean sweep

Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, had never lost an election since 1972. That was till he was defeated by BJP candidate Umesh Jadhav, a rebel Congress leader, in the Gulbarga seat, where he trailed by 95,168 votes at 6 pm.

Since his first victory in the assembly elections of 1972, Kharge had won nine consecutive assembly elections and two consecutive Lok Sabha elections in 2009 and 2014.(HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on May 23, 2019 09:39 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Lok Sabha elections 2019: For Karnataka coalition, a year of living dangerously

The alliance was forged in the confusion that surrounded the results of last year’s state elections.

The BJP had come closest to a majority, winning 104 of the 224 seats to emerge as the largest single party in the assembly.(HT Photo)

elections

Updated on May 23, 2019 07:51 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

In Mandya, prestige contest may be decided on ‘local pride’

The seat witnessed a high-octane battle between chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil of the Janata Dal (Secular) and independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of the late film star and former Union minister MH Ambareesh.

JD(S) state president H D Kumaraswamy, wife and Ramanagara MLA, Anita Kumaraswamy and son Nikhil in Ramanagara in Karnataka.(PTI Photo)

elections

Updated on May 21, 2019 12:52 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Mandya | ByVikram Gopal

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Amid ‘friendly’ jibes, Siddaramaiah says Revanna can be CM

Siddaramaiah’s jibe came a day after Kumaraswamy, while campaigning for the bypoll to Chincholi assembly seat, said injustice had been meted out to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge as he had so far not been made CM.

The on-and-off tussle between Karnataka coalition partners Congress and Janata Dal (Secular) took a personal turn on Thursday, after former chief minister Siddaramaiah suggested that there were many people in the alliance who were capable of becoming CM, including incumbent HD Kumaraswamy’s brother, HD Revanna.(Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times)

elections

Updated on May 17, 2019 08:28 AM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Lok Sabha elections 2019: B S Yeddyurappa urges Lingayats not to vote for Congress

“I plead with the members of the Veerashaiva (Lingayat) community in this region… if even one vote from the community goes to the Congress, which humiliated Veerendra Patil… who won 178 seats, it will be a big crime,” Yeddyurappa said.

Former Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said it would be a crime if even one vote from the Lingayat community went to the Congress.(PTI)

elections

Updated on May 16, 2019 04:45 PM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Raids at hotel in Hubbali create controversy in Karnataka

The immediate cause for the grievance was the fact that chief minister HD Kumaraswamy was staying at the hotel, when the searches were conducted, a senior party official confirmed.

india news

Updated on May 14, 2019 07:27 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Supreme Court upholds Karnataka’s ‘catch-up clause’ allowing reservation in promotion

The issue dates back to 2002, when the Karnataka government had enacted a similar law, which was challenged for its validity under the Constitution.

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld the Karnataka law granting reservation in promotions to state government employees who belong to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe communities.(Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

india news

Updated on May 10, 2019 04:54 PM IST

Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Lok Sabha Elections 2019 | ‘Modi shouldn’t have said that’: BJP leader on PM’s Rajiv Gandhi remark

Addressing a rally in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, on May 4, Modi had attacked Rahul Gandhi’s father Rajiv Gandhi, saying, “Your (Rahul’s) father was termed ‘Mr Clean’ by his courtiers, but his life ended as ‘bhrashtachari no. 1’ (corrupt no.1).”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi ‘corrupt no. 1’ during an election rally.(Samir Jana/HT Photo)

elections

Published on May 09, 2019 09:22 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

In drought-hit Karnataka, villages struggle for drinking water

Harogere is one of 2,269 villages across Karnataka where water is being provided on a daily basis either through private tankers or by hiring private borewells. With 278 villages requiring such provisioning, Tumakuru district is the worst affected, official data show.

Villagers line up their plastic pots for drinking water at a borewell in Harogere village in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district.(HT PHOTO)

india news

Published on May 08, 2019 09:42 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Harogere (Karnataka) | ByVikram Gopal

Cracks appear in Karnataka’s ruling coalition after polls

Mysuru and Mandya are among state’s 28 Lok Sabha seats that have strained the relations between the ruling coalition partners.

Congress leader Siddaramaiah Thursday expressed his displeasure over Karnataka minister GT Deve Gowda’s statement a day earlier saying Janata Dal (Secular) had supported the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in Mysuru.(HT File Photo)

elections

Updated on May 03, 2019 09:57 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Lok Sabha elections 2019: JD(S) minister says workers supported BJP, not ally Congress

Criticising GT Deve Gowda, Karnataka state Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the statement seemed to reveal that the minister had not delivered on the responsibility given to him.

GT Deve Gowda, a senior JD(S) leader, said the seat-sharing discussions went on for too long.(GT Deve Gowda/Facebook)

elections

Updated on May 01, 2019 05:40 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 declared. Read full analysis here

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 has been declared by KSEEB. Pass percentage rose 73.7 from last year’s pass percentage of 71.9.

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 declared. Analysis(HT)

education

Updated on Apr 30, 2019 03:28 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Karnataka | ByVikram Gopal

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 declared, 73.70% students pass. Here’s how to check

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 date : The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) has released the Karnataka SSLC result today.

education

Updated on Apr 30, 2019 12:36 PM IST

Hindustan Times, Karnataka/New Delhi | ByVikram Gopal and Nandini

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019: KSEEB Class 10th results released. Here’s how to check

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 date : The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) has announced the Karnataka SSLC result today.

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019: KSEEB Class 10th results declared(HT)

education

Updated on Apr 30, 2019 12:41 PM IST

Hindustan Times,Karnataka/ New Delhi | ByVikram Gopal and Nandini

Lok Sabha elections over in Karnataka, parties now prepare for two assembly bypolls

Chincholi fell vacant when Congress lawmaker Umesh Jadhav resigned in March and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the same month while the by-poll to Kundgol was necessitated after Congress lawmaker C S Shivalli passed away last month.

The assembly bypolls are crucial for the Congress as another rebel lawmaker, Ramesh Jarkiholi, has threatened to resign.(PTI)

india news

Updated on Apr 26, 2019 10:55 AM IST

Hindustan Times, Bengaluru | ByVikram Gopal

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Vikram Gopal

Vikram Gopal is Hindustan Times’ state correspondent for Karnataka.

ISRO had earlier indicated that it was looking at a 9-16 July launch window with the Moon landing expected to take place on 6 September.

The move comes a day after an audio clip purportedly recording a suicide note by IMA founder Mohammed Mansoor Khan surfaced on social media platforms, sparking panic among investors

Chandrashekhara Kambara, a Jnanpith Award winning playwright and novelist, described his relationship with Karnad, who passed away after a prolonged illness at 81, as an “intellectual jousting competition”.

The complaint was filed by the social media cell of the Janata Dal (Secular) and a police officer confirmed that the two had been arrested and sent to judicial custody for 15 days.

The exercise is seen as an attempt to strengthen the position of the ruling JD(S)-Congress alliance in the wake of its humiliating defeat in the LS poll, in which both just managed to get one seat each.

Rationalist Narendra Nayak said if this belief was correct then the state government should have held prayers in January to ensure rains throughout the year instead of conducting the exercise just before the advent of the monsoon.

In an interview with Vikram Gopal, Reddy says it is natural for senior leaders like him to lose interest in the party if they are overlooked in favour of juniors

Ramalinga Reddy’s gripe came amid speculation that the coalition might offer two of the three Cabinet vacancies in the state government to Independent MLAs, rather than leaders from within.

The Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition in Karnataka won 30 of the urban local bodies out of the 56 for which results were announced on Friday.

Venugopal held a meeting with CM Kumaraswamy, deputy chief minister G Parameshwara, Congress state president Dinesh Gundu Rao, Congress Legislature Party chief Siddaramaiah and water resources minister DK Shivakumar.

In its complaint, the JD(S) claimed the paper allegedly relied on rumours about an incident that did not occur.

Former Karnataka chief minister and BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa is basking in the glory of his party’s victories in 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

Kumaraswamy was affected by the verdict as both his son, Nikhil Kumaraswamy, and his father, HD Deve Gowda, lost the election from Mandya and Tumkur seats, respectively.

The performance was all the more impressive because the party garnered 51.3% of the vote share, the highest in its history and the highest by any party in the state since the Congress got 57.63% in 1984, according Election Commission data.

In all three cases, the seniors were hit by dissension from within the ranks.

Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, had never lost an election since 1972. That was till he was defeated by BJP candidate Umesh Jadhav, a rebel Congress leader, in the Gulbarga seat, where he trailed by 95,168 votes at 6 pm.

The alliance was forged in the confusion that surrounded the results of last year’s state elections.

The seat witnessed a high-octane battle between chief minister HD Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil of the Janata Dal (Secular) and independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of the late film star and former Union minister MH Ambareesh.

Siddaramaiah’s jibe came a day after Kumaraswamy, while campaigning for the bypoll to Chincholi assembly seat, said injustice had been meted out to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge as he had so far not been made CM.

“I plead with the members of the Veerashaiva (Lingayat) community in this region… if even one vote from the community goes to the Congress, which humiliated Veerendra Patil… who won 178 seats, it will be a big crime,” Yeddyurappa said.

The immediate cause for the grievance was the fact that chief minister HD Kumaraswamy was staying at the hotel, when the searches were conducted, a senior party official confirmed.

The issue dates back to 2002, when the Karnataka government had enacted a similar law, which was challenged for its validity under the Constitution.

Addressing a rally in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh, on May 4, Modi had attacked Rahul Gandhi’s father Rajiv Gandhi, saying, “Your (Rahul’s) father was termed ‘Mr Clean’ by his courtiers, but his life ended as ‘bhrashtachari no. 1’ (corrupt no.1).”

Harogere is one of 2,269 villages across Karnataka where water is being provided on a daily basis either through private tankers or by hiring private borewells. With 278 villages requiring such provisioning, Tumakuru district is the worst affected, official data show.

Mysuru and Mandya are among state’s 28 Lok Sabha seats that have strained the relations between the ruling coalition partners.

Criticising GT Deve Gowda, Karnataka state Congress president Dinesh Gundu Rao said the statement seemed to reveal that the minister had not delivered on the responsibility given to him.

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 has been declared by KSEEB. Pass percentage rose 73.7 from last year’s pass percentage of 71.9.

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 date : The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) has released the Karnataka SSLC result today.

Karnataka SSLC Result 2019 date : The Karnataka Secondary Education Examination Board (KSEEB) has announced the Karnataka SSLC result today.

Chincholi fell vacant when Congress lawmaker Umesh Jadhav resigned in March and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the same month while the by-poll to Kundgol was necessitated after Congress lawmaker C S Shivalli passed away last month.

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