Daily Bulletin: Karnataka prepares for Tipu Jayanti showdown; BJP to release manifesto for Chhattisgarh; day's top stories

Karnataka gets ready for Tipu Jayanti showdown Section 144 has been invoked in six districts of Karnataka after the Congress-led Tipu Jayanti celebrations roused tensions on Friday. The move comes after the BJP on Friday staged protests against the Karnataka government-sponsored celebrations for the birth anniversary of Tipu Sultan, a colonial-era hero which ruled erstwhile Mysore kingdom in the 18th Century. The BJP, which has appealed to the government to drop the celebrations, staged demonstrations at several places including Bengaluru, Mysuru and Kodagu, in the state. Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy is likely to give the event a miss citing health reasons. A press release issued by the chief minister’s office on Friday said: “On the advice of doctors, the chief minister will take three days rest till 11 November. He will spend time with family on these days and there will be no official engagements.” [caption id=“attachment_5528111” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Tipu Jayanti celebrations. PTI[/caption]   Chhattisgarh polls: Amit Shah to unveil BJP manifesto today BJP will release its ‘game changer’ manifesto for Chhattisgarh today with special focus on farmers and youth, reports said. The ‘Sanklap Patar’ will be released by BJP president Amit Shah in Raipur. Congress promises farm loan waiver in Chhattisgarh, to release party manifesto for Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Rahul Gandhi Friday released the party’s manifesto for Chhattisgarh which promises farm loan waiver, minimum support price for crops as per the Swaminathan Commission recommendations and ban on liquor sales. The state will go to polls in two phases on 12 and 20 November and counting of votes will take place on 11 December. Gandhi released the manifesto, titled “Jan Ghoshna Patra” in Rajnandgaon, which is the constituency of Chief Minister Raman Singh. The party is expected to unveil the manifesto for Madhya Pradesh today. Only Congress, Rahul Gandhi can anchor anti-BJP front: Chandrababu Naidu Continuing his efforts to forge a grand alliance against the BJP in the next Lok Sabha elections, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday met DMK President MK Stalin and urged opposition parties to sink their differences in the interest of the nation and democracy. “We are all together in bringing parties on one platform. One or two may have differences of opinion. We (TDP) had differences with Congress for 40 years but at the same time now we are working how to bring together all. Democracy is important. It is for people to sink their differences. People are prepared now,” he told reporters after an hour-long meeting with Stalin. Sirisena dissolves Sri Lanka parliament; fresh polls on 5 January Sri Lanka’s political crisis deepened Friday as President Maithripala Sirisena dissolved the Parliament and announced snap polls on 5 January after it became evident that he did not have enough support in the House for Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was appointed by him under controversial circumstances. Sirisena signed a gazette notification to dissolve the nation’s parliament with effect from Friday midnight, in another surprise move that comes after two weeks of political and constitutional turmoil. According to the gazette notice, nominations to contest in the snap election would be taken between 19 and 26 November. The election will be held on 5 January and the new parliament would be convened on 17 January. EC bans exit polls from 12 November to 7 December The Election Commission on Friday imposed a near month-long ban on holding exit polls beginning 12 November in the five poll-bound states. A notification issued by the poll panel said between 7 am of 12 November and 5.30 pm of 7 December, “conducting any exit poll and publishing or publicising the result of exit poll by means of the print or electronic media or in any other manner shall be prohibited”. While Chhattisgarh is going to polls in two phases on 12 and 20 November, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram have elections on 28 November. Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls on 7 December. Using powers under the Representation of People Act, 1951, EC bans exit polls from the time the poll begins till half-an-hour after the polling ends. The poll panel had proposed a prohibition on publication and broadcast of opinion polls results starting from the date of notification of elections, until the completion of the last phase of polls to Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. The proposal is pending with the government. Melbourne stabbing attacker identified Victoria Police on Saturday identified the man who set a car on fire and stabbed three people, killing one of them, before being fatally shot in Melbourne, as Hassan Khalif Shire Ali from Somalia. The police said it has executed search warrants in two properties and spoke to Ali’s wife as part of the investigation. Ali, who was driving a ute loaded with gas bottles into Bourke Street, allegedly set it alight and began stabbing members of the public Friday. He was shot by police as he lunged towards them with a knife. He later died in a hospital. With inputs from agencies