In December, government officials at Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru get ready for a two-week trip to Belagavi, a city located about 500 kilometers away. This is where the winter session of the Karnataka state legislature takes place in the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, a building that looks just like the main secretariat.
On December 6, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah was busy with meetings at his home in Bengaluru, preparing for the upcoming challenges from the BJP-led Opposition in the Assembly. Just a day earlier, he had energized his supporters with a large rally in Hassan, which is a key area for the Janata Dal (Secular). The ruling Congress party in Karnataka is looking to build on the strong results they achieved in the recent assembly bypolls. For Siddaramaiah, this success has come at a crucial time.
