Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: C.P. Yogeshwar and Nikhil Kumaraswamy to clash in Channapatna bypolls, and more

In what promises to be a thriller in the bypolls, Channapatna Assembly constituency will witness a mega battle as Nikhil Kumaraswamy has been named the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate to take on C.P. Yogeshwar, who filed his nomination on a Congress ticket on October 24.

This will be Mr. Nikhil’s third foray into electoral politics. In 2023, he lost in Ramanagara constituency during the Assembly elections in Karnataka. Earlier in 2019, he lost the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency to independent candidate Sumalatha. Mr. Yogeshwar is seen as a turncoat in politics, but has won five times from Channapatna Assembly constituency. Interestingly, he lost the last two elections (2018 and 2023) to H.D. Kumaraswamy.

Meanwhile, the Congress announced the candidature of Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan for the bypolls in the Shiggaon constituency. He would contest against BJP’s Bharath Bommai, son of former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and MP.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh for the families of those who lost their lives in the building collapse at Babusapalya in Bengaluru on October 22. Of this, ₹2 lakh will come from the Labour Department and ₹3 lakh from the BBMP. He also assured that the government would fully cover the medical expenses of the injured.

The building, located in a revenue area, was reportedly constructed without proper authorisation. The work continued despite a notice being issued to halt the illegal construction. The Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) responsible for overseeing the area has been suspended, and notices have been issued to the relevant division and executive engineers.

After two years since its grand relaunch, Golden Chariot, the luxury train owned by the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation (KSTDC) and operated by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC), is being revamped again to attract more guests. 

The train, which was rolled out in 2020, was revamped in 2022 post-pandemic with new amenities. However, the train made only one trip owing to heavy haulage charges and insufficient number of bookings. Now, the IRCTC has announced six dates between December 2024 and March 2025 for two packages — Pride of Karnataka (5 Nights/6 Days) and Jewels of South (5 Nights/6 Days)