Article 371 amendment diwali gift

GULBARGA: The amendment to Article 371 of the Indian Constitution will be a Diwali gift from the Union government to the people of the Hyderabad-Karnataka region, former chief minister and Lok Sabha member Dharam Singh said.Singh addressed the press here on Thursday that the Cabinet sub-committee of the Home Ministry has already prepared a note on the matter and has sent it to the Law Ministry. The matter would have been cleared by now had the controversy over the Jan Lokpal Bill did not crop up, he said. The Parliament will take up the matter in its winter session.Senior Congress leaders, including two former chief ministers (Dharm and Veerappa Moily) and Union Minister Mallikarjun Kharge campaigned in Koppal for two days but refrained from giving specific assurance on amending Article 371 for the H-K region as the election code of conduct is prevailing.   Meanwhile, Singh said the byelection to Koppal is the first election in the history of the state where two former CMs, who are out on anticipatory bail, are canvassing for their candidates.