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No anti-incumbency against Siddaramaiah in Karnataka, says Congress leader Veerappa Moily at India Today Karnataka Panchayat
MUMBAI: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddarmaiah won’t have to contend with the anti-incumbency factor in the May assembly election, senior Congress leader Veerappa Moily said Saturday.
During a wide-ranging conversation with India Today’s Rajdeep Sardesai and Congress parliamentarian Mallikarjun Kharge at India Today Karnataka Panchayat 2018, Moily pointed out that the Congress had won by-elections in Karnataka and significantly improved its performance in local body polls.
Last year, the Congress won assembly bypolls in Gundlupet and Nanjangud despite an aggressive BJP campaign. And in the local body polls held the year before, it won well over 450 zilla panchayat seats – the lion’s share.
Meanwhile, Mallikarjun Kharge sounded equally confident. When he said the Congress would return to power with a “thumping majority,” there were echoes of the confidence Siddaramaiah himself showed during a recent India Today interview.
In fact, the chief minister even ruled out the possibility of a hung assembly.
Voters in Karnataka will head to the polls on May 12, and counting is scheduled for May 15.
If Siddaramaiah manages to retain his post, he will be the first man to do so since Ramakrishna Hegde’s third consecutive term as Karnataka’s leader ended in 1988.
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Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
