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Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy made a direct accusation on Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, accusing him of destroying the lives of Ganga Matsya community members, who once led a peaceful life by fishing in lakes.
While campaigning for NDA candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy on Thursday, in Channapatna's Karekoppa village, Kumaraswamy stated, "The Ganga Matsya community depended on lakes for their livelihood, with fishing as their primary source of income. The lakes were like their mother. However, fishing rights in these lakes were auctioned off and handed over to powerful entities, leaving the Ganga Matsya people, who had relied on the lakes for generations, out on the streets," he expressed with frustration. Kumaraswamy assured that steps would be taken to include the Ganga Matsya community in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category. "This community deserves political representation," he said, citing DT Jayakumar's previous tenure as a minister from his party. However, Kumaraswamy acknowledged that opportunities for the community have recently diminished, pledging to make sincere efforts to include them in the ST category. This development comes ahead of the upcoming bypolls in Channapatna, scheduled for November 13, where NDA candidate, Nikhil Kumaraswamy is in electoral fray against Congress candidate CP Yogeshwara, who had recently jumped ship to the Congress from BJP. The bypolls on 48 constituencies are spread over 15 states - Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Punjab, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal. Earlier on October 15, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced bypolls for 48 Assembly constituencies and two Parliamentary seats that will occur in two phases alongside the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly elections. Voting for the first phase, covering 47 Assembly constituencies and the Wayanad parliamentary seat in Kerala will take place on November 13. The second phase will occur on November 20 for the Kedarnath Assembly constituency in Uttarakhand and the Nanded parliamentary seat in Maharashtra. The counting of votes will take place on November 23. (ANI)
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