Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

1. Bengaluru civic polls after May 25, ballot papers to be used instead of EVMs

Civic elections to the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) will be held after May 25 with ballot papers to be used instead of EVMs, Karnataka Chief Election Commissioner G.S. Sangreshi announced on January 19, 2026. The last civic elections, held in August 2015, used EVMs. The State Election Commission did not give a clear or specific reason for reverting to ballot papers, merely stating that the law permits their use.

As per directions issued in State Election Commission, the ward-wise draft electoral rolls for all 369 wards were published on January 19 for public inspection. Final notification will be published on March 16. As per the draft electoral rolls, the GBA has a total electorate of 88.91 lakh voters. West City Corporation accounts for the highest number of voters at 27.25 lakh, followed by North with 19.54 lakh, South with 17.44 lakh, Central with 14.25 lakh, and East with 10.41 lakh.

2. DGP K. Ramachandra Rao back in controversy after video of inappropriate behaviour surfaces

Director General of Police K. Ramachandra Rao, heading the Directorate of Civil Rights Enforcement, who was earlier accused of helping his stepdaughter Ranya Rao in a gold smuggling case, is once again mired in controversy after a video surfaced on Monday (January 19, 2026) allegedly showing him behaving inappropriately with a woman inside his office while in uniform.

Following the viral video, which includes three separate clips stitched together, Mr. Rao met Home Minister G. Parameshwara and briefed him about the issue. Later, speaking to media persons, Mr. Rao clarified that the video was eight years old and was recorded when he was posted in Belagavi. He termed the incident as a conspiracy to tarnish his image.

3. Hindutva activist from Maharashtra, 6 others booked for provocative gesture against dargah in Belagavi

Belagavi district police registered a case against seven leaders of Hindutva organisations, including Harshita Thakur of Maharashtra, in relation to making gestures of shooting an arrow towards a dargah in Machche village of Belagavi district. Ms. Thakur had been invited by a local Hindutva organisation to speak at the Akhand Hindu Samavesha in Machche on January 18, 2026.

Before the event, the organisers took out a procession across the village, where Ms. Thakur was taken in an open vehicle. When the vehicle was moving in front of the Syed Ansari dargah, Ms. Thakur turned towards the structure and made repeated gestures of shooting arrows towards the religious place. Her supporters and a few members of the crowd started cheering and clapping.

4. Karnataka pushes Beyond Bengaluru growth with ₹1.93 crore grant to Vertex Managed Workspace in Mangaluru

The Government of Karnataka, through its Department of Electronics, IT & BT, on January 19 announced the release of ₹1.93 crore, one of the largest grants under Beyond Bengaluru mission, to Vertex Managed Workspace of Mangaluru.

“This milestone represents one of the first and largest grants under the Beyond Bengaluru Mission to a workspace operator outside Bengaluru,” said Priyank Kharge, Minister for Electronics, IT & BT, Government of Karnataka.