Political high points of 2021

G.T. Deve Gowda discloses plans to join Congress

Former Minister and JD(S) legislator G.T. Deve Gowda ended the suspense over his political future publicly admitting that former CM Siddaramaiah and KPCC president D.K. Shivakumar were in talks with him over his entry into the Congress party.

BC Nagesh replaces Suresh Kumar

First-time minister B C Nagesh replaced veteran BJP leader and Rajajinagar MLA S Suresh Kumar as primary and secondary education minister.

Surya rakes up row on conversion

Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya said that Muslims or Christians, who have undergone religious conversion, should be brought back into the fold of Hinduism. He added that all mutts and temples should have “annual targets” for the completion of such religious re-conversions and triggered a major controversy forcing the MP to retract his statement.

BS Yediyurappa resigns as CM

Yediyurappa announce his resignation as CM and was replaced by Basavaraj Bommai ad the 30th CM of Karnataka on July 28. He went from being Home Minister in the BSY Cabinet to CM.

Sex scandal - Ramesh Jarkiholi resigns

Ramesh Jarkiholi tendered his resignation as Water Resources Minister in the BJP government after charges of sexual harassment were made against him. Jarkiholi was caught in a major scandal after a CD showed him in a compromising position with a woman. The video clips were widely aired by Kannada news channels.

Cow slaughter bill passed

The Karnataka Prevention of Slaughter and Preservation of Cattle Bill, 2020, was passed by A voice vote in the Legislative Council Amid uproarious scenes with Opposition members tearing copies of the Bill and protesting. The bill was passed even as Opposition Congress and Janata Dal (S) members, whose combined strength forms a majority in the House, demanded a division of vote.

Bypolls: BJP wins Sindagi, loses Hangal

The BJP and Congress shared the spoils in the bypolls to the Hangal and Sindagi Assembly seats but the results were a major setback to CM Bommai as the BJP lost the Hangal seat in Haveri district, which is Bommai’s home turf.

Anti-conversion bill gets nod

Despite Opposition from various quarters, the Karnataka cabinet cleared the controversial Karnataka Protection of Right to Freedom of Religion Bill 2021, more commonly known as the Anti-conversion bill. The cabinet meeting was held at Belagavi where the Legislature was in session.