Here are the big stories from Karnataka today

1. Karnataka MLC polls: Fielding a candidate in Council polls helped test the loyalty of party MLAs, says HDK

Making it clear that he was neither shocked nor surprised by the cross-voting by JD(S) MLAs in the recent elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council, Union Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy said the loyalty of party MLAs had been tested by fielding a candidate. Mr. Kumaraswamy said the party had fielded a candidate not with the expectation of winning, but to keep its flock of MLAs together while also testing their loyalty.

“Four JD(S) MLAs have resorted to cross-voting. I have complete information about them,” he said. Without identifying the legislators who had allegedly betrayed the party, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the reasons behind their actions ranged from frustration over the lack of developmental works in their constituencies to their own future political calculations. He said the MLC polls would not significantly alter the political landscape and that the real battle lay in the Assembly elections scheduled for 2028.

2. Over 1,700 tonnes of Bengaluru’s daily waste has nowhere to go

While Bengaluru’s daily waste generation is crossing 5,880 tonnes, the city is able to process only about 4,105 tonnes, leaving a shortfall of 1,775 tonnes every day.

To bridge the gap, GBA, the five corporations and BSWML have planned a sweeping overhaul of the waste-management system that includes new processing facilities, separate mechanisms for construction and demolition (C&D) waste, bulky waste and animal waste, and a restructuring of garbage collection and transportation.  

Of the 1,775 tonnes of waste that the city is unable to process every day, wet waste makes up the largest share at 677 tonnes, followed by dry waste at 545 tonnes. The proposal was recently discussed with Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda. 

3. Two workers feared dead after falling into STP tank of BWSSB at Varthur in Bengaluru

Two persons are feared dead after three labourers allegedly fell into a 40-foot-deep sewage treatment plant (STP) of the BWSSB at Belagere in east Bengaluru’s Varthur on June 18. One of them was rescued. The missing persons have been identified as Brijesh and Akhilesh, and efforts are on to trace them. The rescued person is undergoing treatment at a nearby hospital.

On June 19, BWSSB sources said that the search for the missings persons has been hampered by the presence of toxic gases inside the drainage tank and the strong flow of water. The National Disaster Response Force, who are deployed at the site, are trying to disperse the toxic gases. Once the oxygenation process is completed, NDRF personnel are likely to continue the search.

4. Pink Line elevated stretch by August 2026, full corridor by March 2027: Krishna Byre Gowda

Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda on June 19, 2026, held his first high-level review meeting with senior officials of the BMRCL after recently taking charge of the portfolio, outlining fresh timelines for key stretches of Namma Metro’s Phase 2.

The Minister said that the elevated section of the Pink Line from Kalena Agrahara to Tavarekere is expected to be operational by August 15, 2026. The underground stretch from Tavarekere to Nagawara is slated for completion by March 2027.

The project has witnessed repeated delays, missing multiple deadlines, drawing criticism from commuters. The corridor is expected to significantly ease north–south connectivity once operational.