Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

Karnataka Today newsletter: CM’s close aide or CM aspirant? The curious case of Satish Jarkiholi, and more

Satish Jarkiholi, 61, the KPCC working president and MLA from Yamakanamaradi in Belagavi district, is attracting much attention at the moment because of a series of meetings he has been holding with Congress leaders — from the party’s national president Mallikarjun Kharge to select ministers and local leaders in Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s home town, Mysuru.

These come at a time when the State politics is witnessing a churn over Enforcement Directorate and Lokayukta probes into allotment of sites by Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to Mr. Siddaramaiah’s wife and demand from the Opposition for his resignation.

There are indications that Siddaramaiah has favoured Satish Jarkiholi as the natural choice for replacement over other Congress leaders in the event of a leadership change. Read our profile of the Belagavi strongman, who has always been identified as a Siddaramaiah loyalist.

There will be no grace marks in SSLC exams from the academic year 2024-25, Minister of School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa announced in Bengaluru on October 9. Upset over the system, during a review meeting of the DSEL a few months back, CM Siddaramaiah had asked officials to scrap the awarding of grace marks.

Following the 2024 March-April SSLC exam results, the Karnataka School Examination and Assessment Board (KSEAB) had awarded 20% grace marks as the results dipped by 30%. The department attributed the dip in results to the measures taken to reduce malpractices. Around 1.7 lakh failed students benefitted from the 20% grace marks, and the results increased by 20%.

The Bengaluru police have registered an FIR against Congress MLA from Dharwad Vinay Kulkarni on October 8, after a 34-year-old woman accused him of rape, kidnapping, and criminal intimidation. The FIR names Mr. Kulkarni and his associate Arjun as the accused, according to the police.

According to the complaint, the woman is a social worker who first met the MLA in 2022. The MLA reportedly began calling her, sometimes late at night He allegedly made a video call while naked and pressured her to visit his house in Hebbal in Bengaluru. The woman alleged that when she refused, a group of rowdies threatened her with severe consequences if she did not comply.