Twenty newly elected MLCs took oath in a ceremony at the Vidhana Soudha on Thursday, but Suraj Revanna was not one of them.
The Gowda family's newest entrant to politics skipped the event, not because of the raging Omicron but as the time was not 'auspicious' for his swearing-in.
The first family of the JD(S) is known to be devout and great believers of astrology and Thursday at 11 am, according to sources in the party, was not auspicious enough for the Gowdas.
"This is not new. The family always goes by astrology for all important occasions. Suraj is likely to take oath after January 15," a party leader said. January 15 happens to be Sankranti, the harvest festival.
Suraj was elected last month from the Hassan Local Authorities' seat.
Of the 25 newly elected MLCs, five skipped the ceremony for various reasons. Other than Suraj, MLCs Bhimrao Patil, Sunil Gouda Patil, PH Pujar and Anil Kumar were missing.
Meanwhile, the oath-taking ceremony itself came under criticism for violating the government’s Covid-19 protocols as there were hundreds of people in the banquet hall of the Vidhana Soudha.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president DK Shivakumar, who is fuming at the possibility of his party's Mekedatu march being scuttled by the Covid-19 curbs, questioned how permission was given for the ceremony.
While the ruling BJP is picking and choosing functions for which permissions are being issued, it is trying to intimidate Congress to stop the Mekedatu padayatra, he alleged.
“What are the home minister and the health minister doing? They should have held this ceremony inside the Council,” an irate Shivakumar said, reiterating that his party would go ahead with the padayatra starting January 9.
In response, Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said it was not right to compare Mekedatu padayatra to the oath-taking ceremony.
“It’s an irrelevant comparison. All party leaders took part in the oath ceremony, including Congress leaders,” he said, adding that the government would initiate action against Congress leaders for violating Covid-19 norms if they to go ahead with the Mekedatu march.
Both Shivakumar and Jnanendra attended the crowded ceremony.
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