Why didn't Prajwal Revanna raise voice in Parliament: Siddaramaiah on JDS-BJP alliance

Why didn't Prajwal Revanna raise voice in Parliament: Siddaramaiah on JDS-BJP alliance As Karnataka gears up for polls in the next two phases of elections, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah hit out at Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) leader Prajwal Revanna questioning his silence in Parliament on the injustice done by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to Karnataka. Prajwal Revanna is the sitting BJP MP from Hassan. He is one of the youngest members in the Parliament. Why didn't Prajwal Revanna and Deve Gowda raise their voices in the Parliament about the injustice being done by the BJP to the state? Siddaramaiah said at Hassan. Siddaramaiah was speaking after inaugurating the Prajadhwani-2 Yatra held on behalf of the Congress Lok Sabha candidate Shreyas M Patel. Hitting out at the central government for not releasing a single rupee for the Upper Bhadra Project, the Chief Minister said that the JDS leaders, instead of questioning the BJP has joined hands with them. The Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in the budget that 5300 crores has been allotted for the Upper Bhadra Project. But till now they have cheated without releasing even a single rupee. The JD(S) stopped questioning this fraud and instead has joined hands with the BJP. Is it not a betrayal of those who voted for Prajwal Revanna, he asked. Siddaramaiah said that the Congress will not betray Indians like Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will not make you believe in us and then betray Indians like PM Modi. We will not breach the trust. We have kept our promises. We will not make you a fool by provoking you emotionally. We will stand by you during difficulties in your life, the Chief Minister said. In order to respond to the plight of the people who were affected by the price hike, we formulated five guarantees. We implemented it. We have kept our promises, he added. Hitting out at the Prime Minister for not delivering on his promises on unemployment, Siddaramaiah said that the former betrayed the trust of educated youth. You believed PM Modi when he promised to create two crore jobs per year. All Indians believed.But, when you asked for a job, he said- Go and sell pakodas. Isn't this a betrayal of trust of educated young men and women by PM Modi? Was he not deceiving Indians? the Chief Minister said. Slamming the Narendra Modi government for its brute resistance to farmers' protests, Siddaramaiah said that the time has come to give them an answer. Isn't the Modi government's atrocities on the protesting farmers a big betrayal? BJP's brutality on the farmers who demanded minimum support price for their crops was too much. Now is the time to teach them a lesson for those atrocities, Siddaramaiah said. Karnataka, which has 28 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JD-S fought together against the BJP and the combine was decimated. The BJP had won a record 25 seats; Congress and JD-S won just one seat each. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19. The counting of votes is on June 4. (ANI)

Dull polling in Chennai

eople wait in queues to cast votes for Assembly polls, at a polling station in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI) eople wait in queues to cast votes for Assembly polls, at a polling station in Mumbai on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI) Chennai: A poor turnout of 72.09 per cent voters, with some late comers waiting in the booths after the closing time of 7 pm, marked an otherwise peaceful polling, marred by a series of boycotts of the election and skirmishes over missing names in the electoral lists, in Tamil Nadu, where elections were held for all the 39 Lok Sabha constituencies on Friday, along with the by-election for the Vilavancode Assembly constituency. The three constituencies in Chennai were in the bottom five of the list Chennai Central 67.35 %, Chennai South 57.25 % and Chennai North 69.26 % - while Kallakurichi recorded the highest of 75.67 % and Dharmapuri that was on the top since polling started at 7 am closed second highest at 755.44 %. Madurai recorded 68.90. Governor R N Ravi, along with his wife, cast his vote at a booth in Velachery behind the Raj Bhavan premises and Chief Minister M K Stalin and his family members walked from their home in Chittaranjan Road to the booth in SIET College to exercise their franchise, while top political leaders and film actors voted in various booths in Chennai and in other places. Coming out of his polling booth, Stalin told the media that he had exercised his democratic duty and wanted everyone to do so. Asked about the victory prospects, he said the INDIA coalition would romp home in the elections. On the low turnout despite an aggressive campaign carried out by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to achieve 100 per cent voting, Chief Election Commissioner, Satyabrata Sahoo, who spearheaded the campaign in the State, said that the percentage was slightly higher than the previous Lok Saha elections and the extreme heat was one among the reasons for people staying at home. Three voters died, possibly due to the extreme heat, at their booths. In Salems Sentharapatti, 77-year-old Chinnaponnu fainted after reaching her booth and breathed her last, while 70-year-old Palanisami died in Suramangalam in Salem while waiting in the queue to vote and 71-year-old Kanagaraj collapsed at a booth near Tiruttani. Among the incidents that hindered polling for some time were the Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) candidate of Central Chennai, Karthikeyan, kicking up a ruckus at a booth near Pallavan Illam complaining of the light in the EVMs panel not glowing. When election officials clarified that all was well with the EVM, he tried to stage a dharna but was evicted from the premises. In Koundampalayam, falling under Coimbatore constituency, a kerfuffle was witnessed at a booth when the names of 830 voters from the Post and Telegraph Colony were missing in the list. The prominent candidate of the constituency, K Annamalai of the BJP, and other BJP leaders like Vanathi Srinivasan rushed to the spot to sort out the matter. At Vinmangalam in Tirupattur, polling was stopped at a booth after the VVPAT equipment conked out and voters raised an objection to it. Authorities worked on the fault and set it right immediately to facilitate the resumption of polling. Among the other booths where such complaints of names missing in voters list were raised were Mylapore Basha Thottam (300 names) and Saidapet V S Mudali Street (500 names). When Sahoo was asked about the complaints of missing names, he said that several opportunities were given to the voters to check if their names were in the list and added that he would inquire into it. Apart from film actors like Ajith, who turned up as the first voter at his booth in Thiruvanmiyur and Vijay casting his vote under the glare of media limelight, the celebrities who voted at various places in Chennai were Rajinikanth at Stella Maris College, Kamal Hassan at Eldams Road and Seeman at Neelangarai. Satyabrata Sahoo voted at a booth in Nerkundram, while DMDK general secretary Premalatha, along with her son Vijay Prabakaran, who is contesting from Virudhunagar constituency, bumped into BJP candidate from South Chennai Tamilisai Soundararajan at a booth in Saligramam. Both of them greeted each other and exchanged pleasantries. Vijay Prabakarans electoral rival Radhika Sarathkumar and her husband Sarathkumar voted at Kottivakkam and the Congress candidate for Virudhunagar, Manickam Tagore, voted in Madurai. AIADMK general secretary Edapaddi K Palaniswami voted at Siluvampalayam in Salem, his bete noire O Panneerselvam at Periyakulam, P Chidambaram at Sivaganga and Annamalai at Uthupatti in Karur. Ousted AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala, who voted at SIET College, told the waiting media that the results of the Lok Sabha elections would lead to the those who made mistakes to correct themselves, and her nephew T T V Dinakaran, contesting the polls from Theni, after casting his vote at a booth in Besant Nagar, said that he and his supporters were also followers to J Jayalalithaa.

Rogue elephant captured near Belur in Karnataka

HASSAN: The forest department captured a 35-year-old rouge elephant --Karadi -- after an operation that lasted for two hours from a coffee estate near Vatehalli of Belur taluk on Thursday. The elephant had created panic among the villagers in Belur and Sakleshpur taluks. Eight tamed elephants including Abhimanyu, Sugriva, Dhananjaya, Prashanta, Bheema, Harsha, Ashwathama and Mahendra along with veterinarians and members of the elephant task force were involved in the rescue operation. The elephant was transported to an elephant camp. The elephant operation was supervised by chief conservator of forests R Ravishankar under the direction of principal and chief conservator of forests Subash K Malkhade, additional principal and chief conservator of forests Pushkar Kumar and additional principal conservator of forests Manoj.

Prajwal failed to address problems of Hassan: Karnataka Women's Congress Chief Pushpa Amarnath

HASSAN: Women Congress Wing state president Pushpa Amarnath on Thursday claimed that NDA alliance candidate Prajwal Revanna failed to provide justice for the people of Hassan, by not focusing on the burning issues of the district. Addressing reporters here, she said Prajwal has also failed to draw the attention of government departments on the issues. Though elected as MP for the constituency in 2019, he has reportedly been silent on several issues for the last five years years, and has begun visiting local villages only a few months before the elections. Brushing aside the Modi Wave in the country, Pushpa said the people are unhappy with the alleged anti-poor policies of the Centre. Coming down heavily on former chief minister HD Kumaraswamy for allegedly airing controversial remarks against women, while criticising the Congress guarantees, she said the women have understood his mentality about women. The Congress has lodged a complaint with the Womens Commission in this regard. Criticising the BJP-JDS alliance, she said it would be better to remove the word secular from the regional partys name, since it has completely failed to protect its ethics. She also claimed that the JDS would be uprooted from the state in future, completely rejected by the people.

Wavetronix acquires software consulting firm 42Square

KOCHI: Software consulting firm 42Square, headquartered in Infopark, Kochi, has officially announced its acquisition by Wavetronix LLC, an intelligent traffic solutions based in Utah. The collaboration has led to the establishment of 42Square Solutions Pvt Ltd, a new subsidiary of Wavetronix in India, operational since April 1. The venture aims to merge the talents of 42Squares team with Wavetronixs vision, promising innovation and excellence in intelligent traffic solutions and signalling its expansion into new territories. As part of the acquisition, 42Square will assist Wavetronix in establishing an innovation and research lab to create new devices in the traffic solutions sector and diversifying the embedded solutions service to other sectors. Renowned for its radar traffic detection solutions, Wavetronix products have been installed in all 50 US states, and large traffic projects have been completed globally, contributing to safer and more efficient traffic systems worldwide. We are very excited about this union, says Vincent N P, co-founder of 42Square. The sentiment is echoed by fellow co-founders Jijo Joy, Suhair Hassan, and Rijo George. David Arnold, the founder of Wavetronix, says the acquisition has the potential to bolster the firms position in the intelligent traffic solutions market. Wavetronix will make substantial investments over the next five years to expand the subsidiarys workforce. We plan to establish an electronic manufacturing facility in the region. This move is poised to create job opportunities and contribute positively to the Indian manufacturing sector, he adds.

Congress moves EC over article in CPIM mouthpiece Deshabhimani

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Congress has approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the use of the word porngress in an article published in Deshabhimani, the CPMs mouthpiece, on Thursday. Congress state president in-charge M M Hassan alleged the word was used with the knowledge of CPM state secretary M V Govindan, and urged the EC to take urgent action against the CPM for violating the Model Code of Conduct. The news would not have been carried without the knowledge of the CPM secretary. The eight-column news, carrying a cartoon, referred to all Congress candidates as porngress. It was planned, Hassan said, adding that CPM resorted to such actions after its attempts to spread lies against the UDF candidate in Vadakara backfired. Now, CPM is trying to pin the blame of the fake video circulating in Vadakara on the Congress, Hassan said, adding that such a move from an INDIA bloc ally was unexpected.

Hassan resident drowns in Malpe Beach

Business community in Gilgit Baltistan organises protest against severe load shedding

Business community in Gilgit Baltistan organises protest against severe load shedding The lumberjacks of Skardu in Gilgit Baltistan on Thursday staged a protest against regular power cuts in the area. The protestors claimed that their business is being heavily affected because of these cuts. Hence, they are now forced to protest in front of the district collector's office, Skardu TV reported. A local leader Shiekh Hassan Durabi said that the businesses of these people have been destoyed. The people who can afford motorised lumber machines also have not paid the fees of their kids. As their only way of earning their income is not functioning. They however are not demanding a regular supply of electricity but a mere 12 to 14 hours so that they can operate during the daylight, Durabi said. He further said that they have decided to continue this protest untill their demands get fulfilled. Right now they get only about two hours of electricity, and that too of very low voltage hence their heavy machines cannot operate in this electricity, he added. The leader also stated that the bills that the lumberjacks have been receiving are increasing every month even when the electricity is not supplied. A local lumber trader stressed that they are facing these issues for over a year now, adding that they have to deal with this despite Skardu being the biggest industrial city in Gilgit Baltistan. Because of the nonavailability of electricity, many of our fellow lumberjacks have to close their business. More than 400 of our employees have been pushed towards unemployment, and we are not able to afford our rent. This is important for us because this is the only way that we have to fulfil the needs of our families, the trader added. Another trader from the lumberjack community said that their city has over 40 percent of GB's population, hence demands that the same percentage of the development budget be given to their people. We have raised the same issue with the Chief Secretary, officials of the Ministry of Power, and other senior officials of Skardu and Gilgit Baltistan, but no one has listened to us, and this is increasing our problems. We demand that the tenders that have already been passed already, the government must initiate work that but they are not ready to listen, he added. (ANI)

Papon seeks Argentinas help in developing Bangladesh football

Nazmul Hassan Papon, the youth and sports minister of Bangladesh, sought assistance from Argentina for developing the country's football and promised to extend Bangladeshs help to develop Argentinas cricket during a courtesy meeting at the Sports Ministry today with Marcelo C. Cesa, the ambassador to Bangladesh.

Aam Aadmi Party Kashmir Province Holds Crucial Meeting

Srinagar, April 18: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Kashmir Province convened a significant meeting today at the partys headquarters in Srinagar. District Presidents and General Secretaries representing all districts were in attendance, under the leadership of Dr. Gulam Mustafa Khan, President of the Kashmir Province. Also present were Deeba Khan, Vice President Kashmir, Muddasir Hassan, [] The post Aam Aadmi Party Kashmir Province Holds Crucial Meeting appeared first on Kashmir Media Watch .

WATCH | Wild tusker captured in Belur taluk of Karnatakas Hassan district

The wild tusker had been roaming the villages of Belur and Sakaleshpur taluks and was said to be responsible for the death of an agricultural labourer at Mattavara in Belur taluk

Senior bureaucrats daughter fourth generation to clear UPSC exam

BENGALURU: It was an unmitigated joy and sheer relief for the family and friends of Sanskriti Singh on Tuesday afternoon when news arrived that she had cracked the UPSC Mains. The 29-year-old, who has bagged the 366th rank in her fourth attempt, now becomes the fourth generation in her family to clear this exam, regarded as one of the toughest in the world. The proudest person is without doubt her father, Rakesh Singh. Juggling multiple roles as the Additional Chief Secretary to Urban Development as well as Water Resources, he is also the BBMP Administrator. He consistently motivated her saying it was achievable though she did not go past the preliminary exam hurdle in her previous three attempts. I am ecstatic right now. Becoming an IAS officer is a childhood dream. It is the best gift I could offer my father who is set to retire from service next month, Sanskriti told TNIE. Her great-grandfather, S P Singh, belonged to the British ICS cadre while her grandfather, Bharat P Singh, was an IPS officer. Her husband Avinash Shandilya too is a civil servant and the couple reside in Delhi presently where he is posted. Elaborating on her journey, Sanskriti said, Of the two papers to be cleared in the prelims, the CSAT one which deals with Math and Logical Reasoning was my Achilles heel. I could not score high in it in my three attempts. This time around, my extra focus was on it. I spent 2-3 hours daily clearing past papers, preparing from NCERT books, and other reference material. My husbands experience in clearing the exam came in handy as he became my mentor. It was 12-13 hours of study daily with sleep between 4 am and 10 am. It is a year-long study schedule. I had to give up my hobbies of reading fiction and traveling to remain focused completely. I used to take a small break every fortnight and catch up on friends to recharge myself for the grueling daily schedule. My in-laws in Patna were completely supportive of my dream. I had to sacrifice meeting them or my parents in Bengaluru to concentrate on my goal. Both families are crying with happiness after my success, she adds. Having studied up to Class 4 in Hassan and Vijayapura where Rakesh Singh was then posted, Sanskriti later studied at Convent of Jesus and Mary in Delhi. She then graduated in History Honours from St Stephens College and pursued her law degree at Delhi University later. Since then, Sanskriti has been single-mindedly studying for the UPSC exam keeping other options at bay. What if she had not cleared? Two more attempts are left. I would have used them, she responds. No wonder her father says of her breakthrough-- It is a testament to her resilience and desire to succeed.

Ahead of crucial polls, Maldives president Mohamed Muizzu accused of corruption in leaked report

Political storm started after an anonymous handle 'Hassan Kurusee' posted on X leaked reports, including documents prepared by the Financial Intelligence Unit, allegedly linking Muizzu to corruption.

Anti-incumbency sentiment against LDF govt. will reflect in LS poll results: Hassan

Sugandhagiri tree cutting: Action to be taken against 18 forest staff

KOZHIKODE : Additional principal chief conservator of forests (APCCF, Vigilance) L Chandrasekhar has submitted the investigation report in the Sugandhagiri illegal tree cutting case to the government. According to the report, Wayanad forest department officials who failed in their supervisory duties also accepted bribes from the accused. The report has suggested action against Wayanad South DFO A Shajna and Kalpetta range forest officer Neethu. Meanwhile, Forest Minister A K Saseendran expressed shock at the findings. It has been found that the forest department officials are responsible for the serious lapse. What makes the incident more serious is that high-level officials were involved in the scam. We have come to know that the officers, including the DFO, knew of the matter and pretended otherwise. The chief of the vigilance wing has been instructed to take immediate action against the erring officers soon, the minister said at a press conference in Kozhikode. The probe report mentions the names of 18 forest officials -- Shajna, Neethu, flying squad range officer M Sajeevan, deputy range officer Beeran Kutty, Kalpetta beat forest officers C S Vishnu, P Siyad Hassan, Najeeb, I V Kiran, K S Chaithanya, Saji Prasad, M K Vinod Kumar and Balan, Kalpetta section forest watchers R Vincent, P G Vineesh, K Lakshmi, A A Janu and Johnson; and Kalpetta section forest officer K K Chandran. Among them, Chandran, Johnson, Saji Prasad, M K Vinod Kumar and Balan are under suspension. APCCF Chandrashekar said while some officers were complicit in looting, some failed in their supervisory duties while others did not inspect the logging. A few of the officials failed to take strict action when they found out about the illegal logging, and others took money from loggers. A lookback into the case The case involves the illegal logging of trees on the lands allotted to 750 Scheduled Tribes families in Sugandhagiri of the Pozhuthana grama panchayat in the Kalpetta range forest under the South Wayanad Division during the Indira Gandhi government as part of the Sugandhagiri Cardamom project. The accused people axed over 130 large trees while they had permission to cut only 20 trees.

Dubai airport diverts flights as exceptional weather hits Gulf

DUBAI: Dubai's major international airport diverted scores of incoming flights on Tuesday as heavy rains lashed the United Arab Emirates, causing widespread flooding around the desert country. The world's busiest air hub for international passengers confirmed a halt to arrivals at 7:26 pm (1526 GMT) before announcing a gradual resumption more than two hours later. Earlier the airport, which had been expecting more than 100 flight arrivals on Tuesday evening, took the equally unusual step of briefly halting its operations in the chaos caused by the storm. Dubai, the Middle East's financial centre, has been paralysed by the torrential rain that caused floods across the UAE and Bahrain, and left 18 dead in Oman on Sunday and Monday. Dubai airport operations were suspended for 25 minutes in the afternoon before resuming. Unconfirmed images on social media showed planes taxiing across an apron flooded with standing water. Departure flights remained in operation during the evening but were plagued with delays and cancellations. Access roads to the airport were also badly flooded. Similar scenes were repeated across Dubai and elsewhere in the UAE as the oil-rich Gulf state, better known for its arid climate and intense summer heat, reeled from the storm. Both the Oman and the UAE, which hosted last year's COP28 UN climate talks, have previously warned that global warming is likely to lead to more flooding. Friederike Otto, a leader in the field of assessing the role of climate change on specific extreme weather events, said it was likely that global warming played a part. It is highly likely that the deadly and destructive rain in Oman and Dubai was made heavier by human-caused climate change, said Otto, of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change at Imperial College London. Rain 'scares me' Flagship shopping centres Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates both suffered flooding and water was ankle-deep in at least one Dubai Metro station, according to images posted on social media. Some roads collapsed, residential communities were hit by heavy flooding and many householders reported leaks from roofs, doors and windows. Schools were shut across the UAE and were expected to remain closed on Wednesday, when further storms are forecast. Dubai's government also extended remote working for its employees into Wednesday. Some inland areas of the UAE recorded more than 80 millimetres (3.2 inches) of rain over 24 hours to 8:00 am, approaching the annual average of about 100mm. The National Center for Meteorology urged residents to take all the precautions... and to stay away from areas of flooding and water accumulation in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The Asian Champions League football semi-final between the UAE's Al Ain and Saudi side Al Hilal, due to be hosted in Al Ain, was postponed for 24 hours because of the weather. Bahrain, to the UAE's north-west, was also hit by heavy rain and flooding after being pummelled by thunder and lightning overnight. I like to play in the rain, but for the first time it scares me, said nine-year-old Ali Hassan, as he helped his mother clear water from outside their house in Bahrain's capital Manama. The storms descended on the UAE, Bahrain and parts of Qatar after hitting Oman, where they caused deadly floods and left dozens stranded. A child's body was recovered on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to 18 with two people missing, emergency authorities told the official Oman News Agency. Nine schoolchildren and three adults died when their vehicles were swept away in flash floods, the news agency reported on Sunday. Social media users have shared visuals of flooded airport, roads and shops in the region. Big Breaking: Due to flooding in Dubai, Planes turn into Boat #DubaiFlooding #Dubaifloods pic.twitter.com/xTSMVgZ4jM Sandeep Phogat (Modi Ka Parivar) (@PhogatFilms) April 16, 2024 Dubai is reeling under an unprecedented flood. The city's infrastructure has collapsed. I hope people are safe. #Dubaifloods pic.twitter.com/GESsLAejj6 Pramod Kumar Singh (@SinghPramod2784) April 16, 2024 I would hardly imagine to experience a day that it was in Dubai today. All the events were cancelled, many buildings were flooded, taxi didnt work, the government recommended to stay at home (tomorrow as well). Like in a disaster movie.Take care guys. #Dubaifloods #Dubai pic.twitter.com/9f42t91A8t Anita (@Atitovva) April 16, 2024

Mandya: Big Fight for supremacy in Vokkaliga heartland

MYSURU: Even as the mercury touched 39C, the battle for the Gowda land of Mandya hit a new high with two Vokkaliga titans former chief minister and JDS candidate H D Kumaraswamy and Karnataka Congress president D K Shiva Kumar going all out to establish their supremacy. Kumaraswamy has for the first time entered the fray from Mandya, where his son lost to independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh by a margin of 1.25 lakh votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. But with the JDS forging a pre-poll alliance with the BJP, the political balance has changed. Kumaraswamy is facing one of the richest Congress candidates, Venkataramane Gowda, popularly known as Star Chandru, who declared assets worth `223 crore. The JDS leader is talking about problems faced by farmers due to drought, damaged crops and irrigation canals, and blaming the state government for releasing Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu. After its drubbing in the assembly polls, the Lok Sabha elections is a do-or-die battle for the JDS, especially in Mandya. A victory in the general elections could reignite hopes for the partys revival, as it was trounced in seven of the eight assembly segments in Mandya. It also lost the recent Legislative Council elections. Although former prime minister H D Deve Gowda is campaigning in Bangalore Rural, Hassan, Tumkur and other constituencies, Kumaraswamy is the star campaigner for the regional party. Apart from JDS nominees, he is also campaigning for BJP candidates. However, he is yet to reach out to the Mandya hinterland. While Kumaraswamy accused Star Chandru of being a money bag, the Congress branded the former as an outsider. Star Chandru does not have the stature ot experience of Kumaraswamy. Yet, the going is getting tough for Kumaraswamy. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar are campaigning extensively in the constituency, which will decide the future of the Vokkaliga political leadership in the state. They are also reaching out to microscopic communities, including minorities, Dalits and backward classes with a wider social spectrum as they comprise more than 9 lakh. If Kumaraswamy fails to win Mandya, it would dent the prospects of the JDS and his bargaining power with the prime minister, though he is keen to extend the alliance till the next assembly polls.

Deve Gowda sweats it out for his grandson in Hassan

As HDD speaks, two women shout slogans against HDK

TUMAKURU: Former prime minister and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda here on Monday faced an embarrassing situation as two women, who are suspected to be Congress workers, created a scene at a meeting of BJP-JDS alliance workers at the Kunchitiga Community Hall. They shouted slogans against JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy for saying that rural women have lost their way because of guarantees. They managed to enter the hall, waited till some speakers spoke and when Gowdas turn came to deliver the address, they shouted slogans. BJP women workers dragged them out of the hall and later the police whisked them away. Gowda, who was taken aback, later delivered his speech. Victim of propaganda He said, It was Sonia Gandhi who made HD Kumaraswamy the chief minister. I had no intention to contest from Tumakuru (in 2019), but Congress brought me here and defeated me. So I will not trust anyone in politics. Gowda said he became a victim of a propaganda that he was against the release of Hemavathi river water from Hassan to Tumakuru. As many as ten LS constituencies come under the Cauvery basin and if our candidates win we can stand before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and get justice for the state, he suggested. Gowda, who lost the 2019 LS polls from the Tumakuru Lok Sabha constituency as the Congress-JDS alliance candidate, has hit the campaign trail for BJP-JDS alliance candidate V Somanna of BJP this time. He has campaigned in Koratagere and is likely to visit Madhugiri on Tuesday, focusing on Vokkaliga community votes. HDK, DKS spar The slugfest between HD Kumaraswamy and DK Shivakumar continued, with the former alleging that the latter got lands registered by kidnapping women and blackmailing their parents. He said Shivakumar had blackmailed apartment residents, demanding that they vote for his younger brother and Bangalore Rural Congress candidate D K Suresh, if they want Occupancy Certificate and NOC for new flats. Shivakumar also threatened that they will get water only if they vote for Suresh, he alleged. Shivakumar hit back, saying, Kumaraswamy should also say what is the rate, he may be in the habit of fixing rates and passing the buck to someone else... You got scared and went to Mandya... you will not win the elections...

PM Modi Has Won Hearts of Opposition, I Am An Example: JDS Hassan Candidate Prajwal Revanna

Prajwal Revann and Congress candidate Shreyas Patel are grandsons of two fierce political opponents, former prime minister HD Deve Gowda and former Karnataka minister late G Puttaswamy Gowda.

FACTBOX-Who is fighting in Sudan?

FACTBOX-Who is fighting in Sudan? Here are some facts about Sudan's army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group which have been fighting each other for a year, devastating their country, reigniting ethnically-targeted killings in Darfur and displacing millions. The factions, uneasy partners in the toppling of President Omar Hassan al-Bashir in 2019 and the overthrow of a civilian-led government in 2021, clashed as they competed to protect their interests in a planned political transition. THE ARMY * Sudan's armed forces, commanded by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had the advantage on paper at the start of the war because of their higher troop numbers, their heavy weapons and fighter jets. * As an institution, they have been at or close to the centre of power in Sudan for decades. Burhan - born around 1960 in a village north of Khartoum neighbouring Bashir's home - has spent his whole career at the centre of that institution. * However, the armed forces have often outsourced fighting to allied groups in various regions of Sudan - including the militias that developed into the RSF in Darfur - while building up extensive economic interests. * Under Bashir, Burhan served in Darfur, where the government fought to put down a rebellion in violence that had displaced an estimated 2 million people and left 300,000 dead by 2008. He also developed ties in the Gulf, helping supply soldiers to a Saudi-led military coalition fighting in Yemen. * Burhan said he was among the military figures who told Bashir that he needed to step down, quickly emerging afterwards as Sudan's effective leader. * In the first days of the war, the army lost ground to the RSF's more nimble units across the capital, and then later in Darfur and el-Gezira state south of Khartoum. * Early this year it has regained some footing, particularly in Omdurman, across the Nile from Khartoum - supported, sources say, by Iranian-made drones. It has also received support from foreign powers including neighbouring Egypt and largely holds north and eastern Sudan including Port Sudan on the Red Sea. * Residents have accused the army of killing civilians in indiscriminate shelling and air strikes in parts of Khartoum and other areas held by the RSF. The army had largely denied the accusations. THE RSF * The RSF is commanded by the wealthy, one-time militia leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who is known as Hemedti. Analysts estimated the force numbered about 100,000 before the war started, with bases and deployments across the country. * Hemedti, a school dropout now in his late 40s, began as a camel trader in Darfur. According to Muhammad Saad, a former assistant, he first took up arms after men attacked his trade convoy, killed about 60 people from his extended family and stole his livestock. * His fighting skills were honed when his loyalists and other irregulars allied with the government to help quash the rebellion in Darfur in a campaign that escalated in 2003. The militia forces became known as the Janjaweed, a term loosely derived from the Arabic for 'devils on horseback' that reflected their fearsome reputation. * International Criminal Court prosecutors accused government officials and Janjaweed leaders - without naming Hemedti - of genocide and other atrocities. * Over time the RSF grew and in 2017 won official recognition as a military force, with Bashir's support. In tandem, the business interests of Hemedti have expanded in gold mining, infrastructure, livestock and other areas. * His forces have proved wily adversaries to the army, capturing some of their bases and melting away into residential areas where heavy armour and conventional military tactics lose advantage. * Residents, rights groups and U.N. experts have accused the RSF and allied militias of perpetrating ethnically-targetted attacks in Darfur, accusations denied by the RSF. * Hemedti's most important ally has been the United Arab Emirates, Sudanese sources, analysts and diplomats say. The UAE has denied reports of sending arms shipments to the RSF. (Writing by Andrew Heavens and Aidan Lewis)

The St. Regis Mumbai welcomes Shaiban Hassan as the New Hotel Manager

Hassan brings a wealth of expertise, having previously served as the Hotel Manager at W Goa, where he showcased exemplary leadership and management skills. During his tenure, he successfully managed a luxury resort comprising 121 rooms, overseeing six food and beverage outlets and led a team of 335 employees. Prior to his role at W... The post The St. Regis Mumbai welcomes Shaiban Hassan as the New Hotel Manager first appeared on Hospitality Biz India: Latest News & Analysis . The post The St. Regis Mumbai welcomes Shaiban Hassan as the New Hotel Manager appeared first on Hospitality Biz India: Latest News & Analysis .

No rain for another week in Bengaluru, predicts IMD

BENGALURU: Bengalurus rain hopes are dashed once again. Eager city residents, buoyed by predictions of a post-Ugadi downpour, will now have to wait for another week for some relief, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) putting off the likelihood of rain by about a week. The districts of Shivamogga, Hassan and Chikkamagaluru have come under light rain in the past few days. Though the temperature is not expected to soar in April, there would be no significant relief either, with the IMD forecasting the mercury to remain around 35-36 degrees Celsius.A Prasad, a senior scientist with IMD, Bengaluru, explained, Rainfall in Bengaluru is determined by the position of the trough and wind convergence. Currently, there is no wind convergence, and the troughs position is unfavourable, resulting in a delay in rainfall. Bengaluru can expect rainfall if the trough moves eastward in the coming days. Previously, the IMD forecasted 61.7 mm of rainfall, the typical rate, for Bengaluru in April. However, with the rains reportedly delayed by a few days, the city is anticipated to receive below-normal rainfall levels. On April 14, the city recorded 34.5 degrees Celsius, a drop of nearly three degrees. Yet, the maximum temperature has remained above 34 degrees Celsius, which is the usual average for Bengaluru in April. As per the IMD website, the maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 35 degrees Celsius and 22 degrees Celsius, respectively, on April 15 and 16.

Prominent surgeon says he was denied entry to Germany for a pro-Palestinian conference

A prominent British-Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in Gaza hospitals during the first weeks of the Israel-Hamas war said he was denied entry to Germany Friday to take part in a pro-Palestinian conference an event that police later ended early. Dr. Ghassan Abu Sitta said he arrived at Berlin airport...

Pakistan: 24 people killed, several injured in lightning strikes and rain-related mishaps

Pakistan: 24 people killed, several injured in lightning strikes and rain-related mishaps As many as 24 people have died and several others were injured in lightning strikes and rain-related incidents in Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa areas of Pakistan as downpours continued to lash the three provinces for a second day on Saturday, Pakistan-based Dawn reported. Highways, roads and houses were damaged due to heavy rains, disrupting traffic and forcing people to move to safe places. As many as 17 people, including children, died and five fell unconscious in lightning strikes in six districts of Pakistan's Punjab. The districts that have been impacted include Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim Yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur and Lodhran. Six people were killed due to lightning strikes in Rahim Yar Khan district. Of these, a couple lost their lives due to lightning strikes while harvesting wheat in Basti Khokhran. The couple have been identified as Hafeez (45) and Kulsoom (40), according to Dawn report. Two siblings, aged nine and seven, were killed by the sudden bolt of lightning in Basti Kalhora and a man was killed in Thal Hassan, according to rescue officials. Labourer Muhammad Hassan Mohana died while harvesting wheat in his fields at Janpur. In Bahawalpur, three people lost their lives and two got injured. Lightning struck multiple locations, resulting in the death of a woman and injuries to two others in Ahmedpur East. Shaheena Bibi (22), Iqra Bibi (25) and Karim Bakhsh (70) were reportedly injured. Rescue 1122 tried to rescue a child in Yazman. However, he could not survive. Furthermore, a man, a baby girl and a cow were also killed in the Jatoi area of Muzaffargarh. A child died and two people were injured in Sheher Sultan. Abdul Ghaffar (35), Muhammad Azhar (23) and Bashir Ahmad (65) died in Lodhran. Muhammad Ahmed and Mansab Ali and Muhammad Nasir died in Bahawalnagar, while Sajida Bibi and Muhammad Hassan from Bahawalnagar were injured. Ghulam Sarwar (20) lost his life in Rajanpur. According to Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) spokesperson, death toll from the lightning strikes in Punjab rose to 17. PDMA Director General (DG) Irfan Ali Kathia asked the deputy commissioners concerned to provide best medical aid to the injured. He said financial support will be given to the families of the deceased and called on people to stay in safe places during inclement weather and avoid unnecessary travel. Meanwhile, Chief Meteorologist Sardar Sarfaraz, while talking to the media, said the combination of sea breezes with cold winds had increased the chances of tornadoes and lightning, Dawn reported. The death toll from lightning and rain-related incidents in Balochistan rose to eight after five more people were killed in the Chaman and Dera Bugti areas on Saturday. According to officials, three people were killed after lightning struck a village in Chaman. Local residents rushed the people to nearby hospitals where doctors confirmed their death. Two people were killed by lightning in the Loop area of Dera Bugti. As per reports, Dera Bugti and Kohlu received heavy rain that led to flood-like situation in many areas. Several mud houses were damaged while seasonal streams and rivers were carrying heavy floodwater. Continued rains caused urban flooding in Quetta and water entered many houses in low-lying areas on the outskirts of the provincial capital, forcing the people to move to safer places, as per the Dawn report. Officials advised people to avoid unnecessary journey as landslides are expected due to heavy rains, particularly on Zhob-Dera Ismail Khan Highway and Bolan Pass, according to Dawn report. Two persons were killed and 10 others were injured in rain-related incidents in Lower and Upper Chitral districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as heavy downpours continued to lash large parts of the province on Saturday. Several roads linking two districts were damaged and eight houses collapsed due to heavy rain and landslides. (ANI)

No flags to be used in Rahuls Kerala campaign

Hassan, who is also the UDF convener, said that a decision has been taken not to use any flags of the Congress or its alliesreports Asian Lite News No flags... The post No flags to be used in Rahuls Kerala campaign first appeared on India Daily Digital .

Congress leadership in Kerala finds it tough to poach leaders from rival fronts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Over the last few years, a slew of turncoats from the Congress have joined the BJP and the CPM, where some of them have managed to get lucrative positions. However, a reverse flow has never happened in the Congress camp with none in the leadership eager to poach credible leaders from their rival political fronts. The Congress leaders who joined the saffron camp over the last few years include Tom Vadakkan (national spokesperson), Vijayan Thomas, G Raman Nair, A P Abdulla Kutty (national vice-president), J Pramila Devi (state vice-president), Anil K Antony (national secretary and national spokesperson) and Padmaja Venugopal. While Padmaja is yet to get a post, former KTDC chairman Vijayan and former Travancore Devaswom Board president Raman Nair have become political nonentities in the party as they no longer hold any responsibilities. But those who joined the Left camp -- Lathika Subhash (Kerala Forest Development Organisation chairperson), K P Anil Kumar (ODEPC chairman) and P S Prasanth (Travancore Devaswom Board president) are a happy lot as they could have never dreamt of holding such posts while in Congress. The Congress state leadership has become a B team of the BJP. A few months ago, Congress state president K Sudhakaran said he didnt mind joining the BJP. An old picture of Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan lighting a lamp in front of a picture of Golwalkar surfaced in 2021 reveals his double standards. If f Oommen Chandy was alive, he would have prevented the leaders exodus, Anil said. Congress state president in-charge M M Hassan told TNIE that lack of power made the leaders restless. The party has not been in power in the state since 2016. If it were so, the turncoats would have remained here. Meanwhile, the BJP leaderships reluctance to take former CPM Devikulam MLA S Rajendran into their fold shows the BJP-CPM undercurrent, he said. Political scientist Dr G Gopakumar echoed the same sentiments. There has lately been a feeling that the Congress is in a weaker spot. The leaders who wish to have a permanent status in the political milieu will ensure that they remain with a party with a future, which is the BJP. Its true that the BJP has miles to go in Kerala, but it was successful in snatching the two children of former Kerala chief ministers. But I feel that it will take time for Padmaja to get a top position, he says. On the other hand, even the joining of Francis Albert, a BJP leader from the coastal area of Thiruvananthapuram, along with a few of his supporters to the party created much hullabaloo at Indira Bhavan on Thursday. Turncoats Congress leaders who joined the BJP include Tom Vadakkan, Vijayan Thomas, G Raman Nair, A P Abdulla Kutty, J Pramila Devi, Anil K Antony and Padmaja Venugopal Left camp joinees are Lathika Subhash, K P Anil Kumar and P S Prasanth

Gowda vs Gowda: Enmity Sparked by 'Big Cheeses' of 2 Karnataka Political Families Plays Out Generations Later in Hassan Lok Sabha Battle

The enmity between HD Deve Gowda and Puttaswamy Gowda is legendary as they fought against each other for decades, winning some and losing some in the past. The old generation of enmity has now passed onto the third generation making it the oldest and fiercest battle in Karnataka politics

Attack on BJP worker in Hassan takes political turn

HASSAN: The attack on a BJP worker in Hassan on Friday is taking political twists and turns. BJP-JDS alliance candidate Prajwal Revanna on Saturday blamed district in-charge minister KN Rajanna and the police for supporting those who attacked BJP worker Vijaya Kumar. He visited the district hospital where Vijaya Kumar, who was attacked by a gang of five at his shop, is being treated. He slammed the police for not registering a case under Section 307 and said Congress leaders are stopping the police from doing their job. Interestingly, Vijaya Kumar has filed two different complaints within a gap of three hours. Prajwal alleged that the police are acting at the behest of elected representatives of the ruling party and registered an FIR favouring the attackers. On Saturday, the police arrested all the five accused and released them on bail. Different versions on the attack are doing the rounds in the town. One said the assailants could be followers of BJP former MLA Preetam Gowda as Vijaya Kumar had spoken against him to the media, while others said the attack was to gain sympathy ahead of the elections. But a senior JDS leader denied all these charges. Preetam Gowda and Rajanna were not available for comments. Members of the Hassan City Brahmin Mahasabha condemned the incident, and demanded that the police take action against the culprits. JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda too visited Vijaya Kumar on Friday.

D K Shivakumar to campaign for Tharoor in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With just 12 days left for the Lok Sabha election, several star campaigners from the Congress camp are making a beeline for Kerala next week. Wayanad Congress candidate Rahul Gandhi will attend the Congress Maha Rally being held in Kozhikode at 6 pm on Monday. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will be arriving in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday to campaign for Shashi Tharoor. He is also scheduled to attend a road show on Mattannur-Iritty stretch and also a public programme there. On the same day, Shivakumar is also scheduled to attend a programme at Nadapuram under Vadakara Lok Sabha constituency followed by Koduvally in Kozhikode and Tanur in Ponnani Lok Sabha constituency. CWC leader A K Antony will be attending a family meeting at Jagathy which comes under his home ward. Apart from Shashi Tharoor, and Congress state president-in charge M M Hassan, Mariamma Oommen, wife of former CM Oommen Chandy will also be attending the family meeting. Due to failing health, Antony had decided not to go for campaigning. Ktaka strongman Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar will be arriving in TPuram on Tuesday to campaign for Shashi Tharoor CWC leader A K Antony will be attending a family meeting at Jagathy which comes under his home ward

No flags will be used in Rahul Gandhi's poll campaign in Wayanad: M M Hassan

No flags will be used in Rahul Gandhi's poll campaign in Wayanad: M M Hassan No flags will be used for Rahul Gandhi's election campaign in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, KPCC acting chief M M Hassan said here on Saturday. Hassan, who is also the UDF convener, said that a decision has been taken not to use any flags of the Congress or its allies during the poll campaign of Gandhi next week in the hill constituency. However, he refused to give any reason for taking the decision. Speaking to reporters at a press conference here, the UDF convener said that there is no need to communicate to the media the reasons behind the party's decision. ''Suffice to say that no flags will be used during his campaign in Wayanad. Only party symbols will be used,'' Hassan said in response to repeated queries by reporters regarding the reason for such a decision. Gandhi will participate in various party programmes in Wayanad on April 15 and 16 according to a statement issued by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC). In the coming week, he will also be taking part in public meetings and rallies in various Lok Sabha constituencies including Kannur, Thrissur and Thiruvananthapuram, the statement said. The Congress party's decision not use its or ally IUML's flags during Rahul Gandhi's roadshow in Wayanad earlier this month gave space for the BJP and CPI(M) to take political potshots at the grand old party. While the CPI(M) had alleged that the flags were not used as the Congress was scared of the BJP, the saffron party had claimed it was because Gandhi was ashamed of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and asked him to reject its support. The Congress had hit back by saying that the CPI(M) and the BJP have become close friends and had asserted that it does not need any classes from anyone on how to carry out a poll campaign. Gandhi's roadshow in Wayanad on April 3 was visibly different from that in 2019 in the constituency when green flags of ally IUML outnumbered the Congress' in the crowd. This time, both the flags were conspicuous by their absence.

2,400 Indian Sikh pilgrims travel to Pakistan to participate in Baisakhi festival

2,400 Indian Sikh pilgrims arrived in Pakistan's Punjab capital for the Baisakhi festival, led by Sardar Ramash Singh Orara. They were greeted by ETPB's Rana Shahid and headed to Gurdwara Punja Sahib, Hassanabdal.

Germany prevents entry of Palestinian doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta

The German authorities have prevented the Palestinian-British doctor Ghassan Abu Sitta from entering the country to participate in a Palestinian conference. He was scheduled to speak about the challenges faced by medics in Gaza at a Palestinian solidarity conference in Berlin, which was later cancelled. Also ReadIran readies 100 missiles for possible Israel strike: Reports Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

Fierce battle unfolds in Mandya as Kumaraswamy fights all important contest for JD(S)

Fierce battle unfolds in Mandya as Kumaraswamy fights all important contest for JD(S) A contest between a former Chief Minister and a political greenhorn is being projected as a battle between an ''outsider'' and a ''local'' by the ruling Congress, raising the stakes for JD(S) in this key Lok Sabha poll in this 'Sakkare Naadu' (land of sugar). This Vokkaliga dominated, largely agrarian constituency is all set for a face-off between JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy contesting as the joint candidate of his party and its alliance partner the BJP, and Congress' Venkataramane Gowda, popularly known as 'Star Chandru', a contractor. While Kumaraswamy hails from Hassan district and largely operates from neighbouring Ramanagara, Gowda is from Nagamangala taluk. Mandya lies between Bengaluru and Mysuru. The heartland of Vokkaliga politics in the Old Mysuru region, is known for rivalry between Congress and JD(S) to gain upper hand, while the BJP is relatively weak here but has been gaining strength in recent years. Winning this seat is key for Kumaraswamy, the son of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and Congress' Vokkaliga leaders especially Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress President D K Shivakumar, to strengthen their clout over the region and the community. In 2019, actor turned-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent backed by the BJP, won by defeating then Kumaraswamy's son and joint candidate of the then ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance Nikhil by 1,25,876 votes. Though Sumalatha sought a BJP ticket for re-election, the saffron party ceded the seat to its alliance partner the JD(S), and also managed to convince her. Kumaraswamy met her subsequently. Sumalatha last week announced her decision to opt out of the elections, and joined the BJP. She is yet to campaign for him. Once considered a JD(S) bastion, the regional party now has just one MLA in the district. Congress has its might with six MLAs including a Minister and two MLCs on its side. JD(S) initially appeared to be on the back-foot in Mandya, but the entry of Kumaraswamy, who enjoys personal connect and bonding with voters here, in the poll arena galvanised the party cadre and boosted their morale, a party leader said. Congress, aiming to wrest Mandya after a gap of 10 years, had announced much in advance the candidature of Star Chandru, the brother of Independent MLA from Gauribidanur K H Puttaswamy Gowda, who backed the Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls earlier this year. The grand old party is hopeful about his win, banking on its growing strength in the district and the state government's guarantee schemes. ''However, agriculture and irrigation related issues, drought, release of Cauvery river water to Tamil Nadu despite drought here and perception that the state government did not do much to stop it, may have some adverse impact on the Congress' prospect,'' a party functionary said. ''Speculation about Kumaraswamy becoming Union Minister in the event of NDA returning to power, while Star Chandru remaining a mere MP, may resonate among the masses'', a political analyst said. ''The possible anger among the Vokkaliga voters in the district about Shivakumar, who is from the community, not being made CMr after assembly polls, may also have its impact.'' On their part, Shivakumar and other Congress leaders have tried to project Kumaraswamy as an outsider. ''He is like a touring talkies hopping from one place to another,'' Shivakumar said alleging that Kumaraswamy has come to Mandya, deserting people of Ramanagara and Channapatna. Pitching himself as the son of the soil from Mandya, Star Chandru said, ''Mandya people have seen earlier that people from outside come here and get elected promising to be with them, addressing them as anna (elder brother), tamma (younger brother), but after getting elected they are not accessible, but I'm from here, I will always be with the people.'' Kumaraswamy is hoping for a win, based on his personal appeal and goodwill among Mandya voters, and consolidation of Vokkaliga vote base, besides banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and BJP's support. ''Congress' strength in the district and JD(S)' core vote base moving away from the party, seen during the assembly polls, is still a major concern,'' a JD(S) leader said. He also said that there is absolute need for BJP and JD(S) workers to work together on the ground for the transfer of saffron party votes in favour of Kumaraswamy. For this, Sumalatha's active support and that of local BJP leaders, would help in no small measure. Highlighting Mandya district's contribution in giving political strength to him and his party, Kumaraswamy, calling it ''heart of JD(S)'', said the party's strength has weakened in Mandya for some time now, and the people and JD(S) workers want him here for the development of the district and growth of the party. He has also expressed his ambition to be Union Agriculture Minister. ''There is certainly a Modi wave in Mandya too and coupled with Kumaraswamys contest in this Vokkaliga belt, BJP and JD(S) are certain to win from here. People dont know about Star Chandru. Siddaramaiah is here (as CM), but we want Modi in Delhi,'' said an office goer in Maddur. A young voter in Mandya said, ''Kumaraswamy comes when he is in need and speaks about Mandya, later he is not accessible. He may give a fight in the election, but Star Chandru will win.'' Mandya has eight assembly segments, out of which six are represented by Congress, and one each by JD(S) and Sarvodaya Karnataka Paksha.

'Entire Bengaluru in DKS clutches,' says HD Deve Gowda

HASSAN: JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda said on Friday that several prominent Congress leaders will quit the party after it faces humiliation in different states in the Lok Sabha polls. At a campaign event in Changadihalli of Sakleshpur taluk, he said it will be difficult for the Congress to capture power in any state in the future. The state Congress leaders have no moral right to take on opposition parties as their own party it is in a bad state, he added. Recalling his tenure as PM with Congress support, Gowda said the grand old party had hatched a conspiracy and pull down him from the PMs post by withdrawing support. Gowda has reiterated that no leader in the I.N.D.I.A bloc has the capacity to become the PM. He came down heavily on Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for allegedly conspiring to finish the JDS politically in the state by ensuring the defeat of JDS candidates in Mandya, Kolar and Hassan constituencies. He said the whole Bengaluru is in the clutches of Shivakumar and that he is ready to provide evidence on the allegations of money from Karnataka being sent for elections in different states. Shivakumar has filed three candidates with similar names against my son-in-law Dr CN Manjunath in Bengaluru Rural constituency, he said and added that the state government will collapse on its own after the parliamentary elections. The opposition parties will not destabilise the Congress government in state, the former PM said.

Vote From Home begins, aged and PwD voters will get fingers inked

BENGALURU: Voting in Karnataka, which comes under Phase-2 of the elections across India, starts from April 13 with Vote From Home (VFH) and will continue for the next five days. A total of 40,743 people have opted for VFH. Of them, 37,739 people are aged above 85 years of age and 13,004 are People with Disabilities (PwD). As per data from the Chief Electoral Officer, Karnataka (CEO) data, there are a total of 3,40,856 people aged above 85 years of age who are eligible to opt for VFH. There are also 2,76,042 PwD who are eligible to take the option under Phase-2 of the elections, residing in 14 constituencies going to polls of April 26. A total of 6,407 voters will utilise VFH in three constituencies in Bengaluru -- North, South and Central. As per the list, there are 6,206 people aged above 85 years and 201 PwD. According to election officials, the VFH percentage is very low. Most people are keen to visit the polling booth to vote. This is the first time VFH has been introduced for the Lok Sabha elections. Last time, it was held for the assembly elections, where a total of 99,535 people had opted for it from 224 assembly constituencies, said Additional CEO Venkatesh Kumar R. The list of VFH voters so far is from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga, Tumakuru, Mandya, Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikkaballapur and Kolar. The people who chose VFH were informed 3-4 days in advance of the time frame, during which they are expected to be available at their residence, when the returning officers and the booth level officers visit. In case a voter is not present on the scheduled day, election staffers will inform the absentee voter of the next date when they will again visit, which is likely to be 2-3 days later, Kumar said. A time duration of five days has been announced to complete the exercise. It is left to the staffers to chalk out their plan and routes. The number of voters and booths can be decided by the local officers, however, a range of 30-50 per day has been given to them, by the CEO office. POINTS TO NOTE Voters must keep Epic Card or any other govt certified ID proof handy Voting in VFH is a paper ballot Voting is done in complete secrecy Election staffers must be informed in advance, if attendant assistance needed

The bad and ugly

KOZHIKODE : For many, news about precious lives being lost to trivial issues during elections in a state like Kerala would come as a huge surprise. However, violence is deeply ingrained in the politics of the state, especially north Malabar. There, every election is an immensely challenging time for the police, and they have to be on their toes to maintain law and order in hotspots of violence. However, despite their best efforts, some situations spiral out of control. March 23, 1987, when the assembly elections were held was one such incident. It started as a normal day. However, an argument between CPM and Congress workers at a polling booth in Kayyar threw everything out of gear. Things got heated. Plantholi Krishnan, a Congress booth agent, was stabbed and killed. News of the murder spread like wildfire. Congress workers assembled at Cheemeni town, considered the partys stronghold. Congress (I) sympathisers and some anti-social elements later rushed to the CPM office at Cheemeni town with deadly weapons, continuously pelting stones at the office, said the records at Cheemeni police station. It said there were around 40 CPM party workers near the office. They rushed inside and bolted the doors and windows. However, some extreme anti-social elements who were among the aggrieved Congress (I) workers collected dry grass from the vicinity, placed it near the office and set them ablaze with petrol, said the police records. The office caught fire. CPM workers tried to escape but were attacked by the mob with deadly weapons. Five CPM workers Alavalappil Ambu, Kunhappan, C Koran, M Koran and Kunhikannan were brutally murdered on the spot, said the records. Soon, violence erupted at places like Cheruvathur, Thimiri and Chebrakanam. Following the incident, a police station was set up at Cheemeni. According to the Congress, three persons, M M Jose, K P Surendran and Abraham, who were allegedly involved in the violence, were murdered one by one by CPM within three years. In 1995, the murder of V Dasan, the Congress block president at Anthoor panchayat in Kannur, following the local body elections had shocked the state. Dasan had fielded candidates in all wards of the panchayat against the CPM. An unthinkable act. No party at the time dared oppose the CPM, which enjoyed brute majority in the local body. Dasan was murdered two months post polls, allegedly by CPM workers. There have also been rare incidents of booth capturing reported in Kerala. Crimes like booth capturing are very rare in Kerala compared to northern states. We had one such incident in Thalassery taluk during the local body elections in 2000, recalled retired SP Subhash Babu N. Re-pollings had been ordered in booths under Panur, Kolavallur and Koothuparamba police station limits. Three SPs, Vijay Sakhare, Ajith Kumar and I, were given the charge of the stations. I was in charge of Panur station. CPM workers took out a massive protest march to the polling booth at Mokeri, and hurled bombs at us. We had to resort to firing. Fortunately, none was injured, Subhash said. Retired IPS officer Alexander Jacob, who served in ASP and DIG in Malabar said the police alone cannot stop this vicious cycle of violence. In my report I had suggested various solutions, including job creation, to resolve the issue. Unemployed youths were the ones who usually engaged in political violence, he said. Things had been peaceful this Lok Sabha elections. Until April 5, when a bomb went off while being made in Panur. Suddenly, memories of political violence, including the murders of Shuhaib, Shukkur, Kripesh, Sarathlal and T P Chandrasekharan came flooding back. There is no doubt the bombs were being made to target CPMs political rivals. They could be UDF leaders or workers as RSS is no longer CPMs enemies, alleged Shafi Parambil, the UDF candidate in Vadakara LS constituency. He said the CPM resorts to bombs while Congress depends on people. The explosion that gutted a jeep at Mudavanthery in Nadapuram, Kozhikode, earlier this week, gave CPM, on the defensive following the Panur blast, a chance to target UDF. As of now, it is being said that firecrackers kept inside the jeep had exploded. However, police are conducting further probe. LDF election committee convener Valsan Panoli, however, alleged that the powerful blast aimed at derailing the peaceful election process. Recalling the blast at Narikkatteri in Nadapuram in 2010 that left five IUML workers dead, Valsan demanded a comprehensive probe into the latest incident. One things is for sure. The Panur blast has dramatically changed the contours of campaigning in north Malabar with parties now focusing more on issues related to violence, while putting every other issue on the back burner. MIND THE APP Political ideologies aside, staying informed is a major prerequisite for a voter to make an informed choice this Lok Sabha elections. However, in this digital age, where both real and fake information are just a few clicks away, navigating the labyrinth that is the internet to find a credible source of knowledge is a task easier said than done. TNIE lists out some mobile apps by the Election Commission of India (ECI) that would make a voters quest for knowledge a lot easier ahead of April 26, voting day. KYC: Know Your Candidate Allows voters to learn about the criminal background of the candidates contesting in their constituency. It also lets provide information about the nature of the alleged crime and the current status of the case. Nominations and affidavits filed by the candidates are also available for download. How to use Download from the Google Play or App Store (iOS) Select the Lok Sabha constituency Search for candidates C VIGIL Lets people register their complaints related to the Lok Sabha elections, including any violations of the Model Code of Conduct by any candidate or party. The ECI promises action within 100 minutes of receiving the complaint. How to use Download from the Google Play or App Store (iOS) Provide your contact number and OTP To register a complaint, take a photograph or video of the violation using the app and upload it within five minutes The app automatically identifies the location Saksham App Provides customised services to people with disabilities (PwDs). Its features include: Voice assistance for the visually impaired, text-to-speech facility for those who are hearing impaired, accessibility features like high contrast and large fonts, information on polling stations, including their location and contact details of polling officials, and a facility that lets PwDs file complaints. How to use Download from the Google Play or App Store (iOS) Provide name, address, and mobile number. Select state, district and assembly constituency. Voter helpline Comes with a user-friendly interface that allows citizens to submit the forms with a few simple steps. The app aims to provide a single point of service and information delivery to voters across the country. Among other things, the app allows voters search their name in electoral roll, register/modify your voter registration, download your digital photo voter slip, file complaints, and get election-related news and updates. How to begin: Download from the Google Play or App Store (iOS) Login with the contact number Give voters contact details and register Just for officials ESMS The ESMS mobile app is used to digitise data for intercepted/seized items (Cash/liquor/drugs/ precious metal/freebies/other Items) directly from the field through the app when the Model Code of Conduct is in force. This is only for election officers and states. Panur blast: Cong seeks EC intervention The Congress has sought the intervention of the Election Commission in ordering a CBI probe into the bomb blast that took place at Panur in Vadakara constituency on April 5. Addressing a news conference here on Friday, KPCC acting president M M Hassan said he has written to the Chief Election Commissioner expressing doubts over the entire episode.

Windfall for Indian growers as robusta output falls elsewhere

Robusta coffee prices reach unprecedented heights at Rs 10,080 per 50 kg bag. Small growers benefit, while challenges like labour shortage and wildlife threats persist in major coffee-producing regions like Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, and Hassan.

The Latest | 2 Palestinians killed and 3 injured in confrontations with Israeli forces in West Bank

The Latest | 2 Palestinians killed and 3 injured in confrontations with Israeli forces in West Bank Two Palestinians were killed early Friday in confrontations with Israeli forces in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian medics and the military said. The Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed the two deaths and said three people were wounded, including one who sustained serious injuries. The Islamic militant group Hamas said one of those killed was a local commander. Palestinian health officials say 460 Palestinians, including several dozen children and teens, have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Six months of fighting in Gaza have pushed the tiny Palestinian territory into a humanitarian crisis, leaving more than 1 million people on the brink of starvation. Israel said Friday it had opened a new crossing for aid trucks into hard-hit northern Gaza as ramps up aid deliveries to the besieged enclave. However, the UN says the surge of aid is not being felt in Gaza because difficulties persist in distributing it. Israeli bombardments and ground offensives in Gaza have killed more than 33,600 Palestinians and wounded over 76,200, the Health Ministry says. The ministry doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its tally, but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead. The war started on October 7 when Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis in a surprise attack, mostly civilians. Around 250 people hostage were also taken hostage by Palestinian militants. Currently: Israel promised to ramp up aid to Gaza dramatically, but days later there are few signs of any impact. Poland says aid worker's killing in Gaza should be brought before Israeli court. Muslim leaders are out of words' as they tire of the White House outreach on the war in Gaza. An Israeli airstrike in Gaza kills 3 sons and 4 grandchildren of Hamas' top leader. Here's the latest: ISRAEL OPENS NEW AID TRUCK CROSSING INTO NORTH GAZA JERUSALEM Israel said Friday it had opened a new crossing for aid trucks into northern Gaza as its efforts to ramp up aid to the besieged enclave came under criticism from a top United Nations official. Israel, facing mounting US pressure to improve the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, has pledged this week to dramatically increase aid to the strip. The military said that trucks carrying food passed the newly opened northern crossing Thursday. It said the aid was inspected at its Kerem Shalom crossing near the Egyptian border before being transported inside Israel to the crossing. The new system is meant as an alternative to the challenging and dangerous process of transporting aid from northern to southern Gaza. In the coming days, Israel says it will also open its port in the southern city of Ashdod for more aid shipments. Most aid is currently delivered by land from neighbouring Egypt. COGAT, the Israeli military body in charge of Palestinian civilian affairs, said Friday it has sent 1,903 trucks into Gaza over the last week, with 221 truckloads of aid reaching the north over that same timeframe. However, the UN says the surge of aid is not being felt in Gaza because difficulties persist in distributing the aid. It's very easy for Israel to say, 'We've sent you 1,000 trucks so please deliver them inside Gaza', said Jamie McGoldrick, the UN humanitarian coordinator for the Palestinian territories. The UN says aid distribution within Gaza is dangerous and mired in long holdups at inspection checkpoints. Bringing aid to the north of the territory where the UN says famine is near is particularly difficult, McGoldrick said, with only one or two roads north open at a given time. Several aid organizations have suspended their convoys north after an Israeli strike on a World Central Kitchen aid mission killed seven aid workers. BRITISH-PALESTINIAN SURGEON SAYS GERMANY BLOCKED HIM FROM ENTERING COUNTRY TO JOIN PRO-PALESTINIAN CONFERENCE BERLIN A prominent British-Palestinian surgeon who volunteered in Gaza hospitals during the first weeks of the Israel-Hamas war said he was denied entry into Germany on Friday, where he was due to take part in a pro-Palestinian conference. Dr Ghassan Abu Sitta said he arrived at Berlin airport on Friday morning before being stopped at passport control where he was held for several hours and then told he had to return to the UK. Police at the airport said he was refused entry due to the safety of the people at the conference and public order, Abu Sitta told The Associated Press by phone. The ban will last until Sunday, covering the duration of the Berlin conference he was to attend, he said. The gathering, entitled the Palestine Congress, was to discuss a range of topics including German arms shipments to Israel and solidarity with what organizers called the Palestinian struggle. Police at Berlin airport could not immediately be reached for comment. Germany has traditionally held a staunchly pro-Israel position, and during the Gaza war emerged as one of Israel's fiercest supporters, even amid growing international outrage over the soaring Palestinian death toll. German authorities have repeatedly clamped down on displays of support for Palestinians. Abu Sitta has worked during multiple conflicts in the Palestinian territories, beginning in the late 1980s during the first Palestinian uprising. He has also worked in other conflict zones, including in Iraq, Syria and Yemen. He spent 44 days in Gaza hospitals during the current war as a volunteer for Doctors Without Borders. Throughout his most-recent stint in Gaza, he gave numerous interviews to international media outlets about the deteriorating humanitarian and health situation in the besieged enclave. EUROPEAN COUNCIL SANCTIONS THREE PALESTINIAN MILITANT GROUPS OVER THEIR ROLE IN OCTOBER 7 ATTACKS BRUSSELS, Belgium The European Council has slapped sanctions on three Palestinian militant organizations, citing their role in the brutal and indiscriminate terrorist attacks on October 7 against Israel. The sanctions will freeze the groups' assets and prohibit anyone from giving funding or economic resources to the groups or for their benefit, either directly or indirectly, the council said in a statement Friday. The newly sanctioned groups are Hamas' military wing, the Qassam Brigades, as well as Hamas' elite Nukhba forces and the Al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Hamas and Islamic Jihad entered southern Israel on October 7, killing more than 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. Hamas and other armed groups must immediately grant humanitarian access to all remaining hostages, the European Council statement said. The US State Department, the European Union and other Western countries already consider Hamas and Islamic Jihad as terrorist groups. The European Council is the body that brings together the 28 EU countries' leaders. BODIES OF 89 PEOPLE KILLED IN GAZA TAKEN TO HOSPITALS, OFFICIALS SAY RAFAH, Gaza Strip Gaza health officials said Friday that 89 bodies were taken to hospitals over the past 24 hours, raising the Palestinian death toll in the territory to 33,634 since the Israel-Hamas war erupted more than six months ago. The total number of wounded has reached 76,214, said the ministry, which is part of a Hamas government that continues to operate in some parts of Gaza. The ministry does not differentiate between civilians and militants in its count, but says that two-thirds of the dead are women and children. It says many bodies across devastated Gaza remain under the rubble. Israel's military says it has killed thousands of Hamas militants since the start of the war. The war was triggered by Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel in which the militants killed about 1,200 people and took some 250 hostages. PALESTINIANS ARE KILLED IN THE ISRAELI-OCCUPIED WEST BANK JERUSALEM Two Palestinians were killed early Friday in confrontations with Israeli forces in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Palestinian medics and the military said. The Islamic militant group Hamas said one of those killed was a local commander. The raid took place in the town of Tubas and the adjacent refugee camp of al-Faraa. The Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed the two deaths and said three people were wounded, including one who sustained serious injuries. The military said the target of the raid was Mohammed Daraghmeh, a local Hamas commander. It said Daraghmeh was killed in a shootout with Israeli soldiers who discovered weapons in his car. The army alleged that Daraghmeh was planning attacks on Israeli targets, but provided no evidence. In subsequent confrontations between soldiers and armed Palestinians, a second Palestinian was killed Friday. The army said assailants also hurled explosives at soldiers. The Palestine Red Crescent Society said one of its ambulances was fired at by Israeli forces as medics were trying to treat one of the wounded. Palestinian health officials say 460 Palestinians, including several dozen children and teens, have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, triggered by a deadly Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7. Most were killed in confrontations with Israeli forces who have stepped up raids in the West Bank in recent months, targeting suspected militants. Several other Palestinians have been killed in attacks by militant Israeli settlers. FRANCE WARNS CITIZENS AGAINST TRAVELING TO ISRAEL, IRAN, LEBANON, AND PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES PARIS France's foreign ministry has warned citizens against traveling to Israel, Palestinian territories, Iran and Lebanon in the coming days due to a heightened risk of military escalation in the Middle East. Iran has been threatening to avenge the deaths of two of its generals killed in an airstrike in the Syrian capital, Damascus, last week. Tehran blames Israel for the strike, although Israel has not commented. Israel has called up additional defense units in anticipation of an attack by either Iran or the many proxy groups it supports in the region. Faced with risks of a military escalation, the French foreign ministry called on citizens in a statement Friday to completely refrain from traveling to the three Middle Eastern countries and the Palestinian territories. The ministry also ordered families of diplomats in Tehran to return to France and suspended all foreign ministry sanctioned missions to Israel, Lebanon, Iran and the Palestinian territories after a crisis meeting Friday, the statement said. SPAIN AND NORWAY SUPPORT RECOGNIZING A PALESTINIAN STATE COPENHAGEN, Denmark Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Snchez said that Spain has publicly committed to recognizing Palestine as a state as soon as possible when the conditions are appropriate and in a way that can have the most positive impact to the peace process. Snchez was in the Norwegian capital, Oslo, as part of a tour that also includes Ireland, to push for peace in Gaza and seek support for recognition of Palestine. His Norwegian counterpart, Jonas Gahr Store, said that Norway stands ready to recognize the state of Palestine and to recognize this place, appropriate place in the United Nations. The traditional position of the United States and European allies had been that recognition of a Palestinian state should come at the end of successful negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. However, since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, some European leaders have called for such recognition as an interim step that would create a political horizon for Palestinians, especially at a time when Israel's right-wing government is adamantly opposed to the creation of a Palestinian state. Sanchez has been one of the most vocal advocates of early recognition.

Lok sabha elections Karnataka Assault on BJP worker in Hassan, office ransacked

The victim has alleged that the attackers were supporters of former BJP MLA Preetham Gowda

Karnataka: Fighting Lok Sabha Polls for Farmers, Says HD Kumaraswamy

Bengaluru: Im contesting the Mandya Lok Sabha seat in the ensuing election to take up programmes for the welfare of farmers and poor and not for personal gains, stated Janata Dal Secular State president and former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Thursday. He is in the fray as JDS-Bharatiya Janata Party consensus nominee and currently represents Channapatna Assembly seat in Ramnagar district. Holding campaign in Arkalgudu taluk of Hassan, Kumaraswamy expressed displeasure over the BJP led Central Government over farmers of the country not getting programmes for their welfare and accused that farmers have been neglected. But, he said, his victory in the Mandya Lok Sabha seat would help farmers in framing beneficial programmes under the guidance of his father and former Prime Minister H.D. Devegowda. He told the gathering that JDS joined hands with BJP and became part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to gain strength and not to meet their personal wishes. There is no point in delivering speeches being in an opposition party and exuded confidence that none can stop Narendra Modi from becoming the Prime Minister for third time in succession in the ensuing election for Lok Sabha. Had JDS come to power on its own strength then there was no need for his party to forge an alliance with the BJP, said Kumaraswamy and stated that he served as Chief Minister twice once for 20-months in alliance with BJP and another was for 14-months alliance with the Congress party and recalled that he waived off farm loans, initiated irrigation projects, constructed roads among others. Criticising the ruling Congress government in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy said slogan shouting over tax devolution will not help but asked the Congress leaders to stop looting the tax-payers money. Kumaraswamy stated that in the previous Lok Sabha election, none of the 28 MPs including 25 from BJP from the State spoke in the interests of the State except Devegowda as a Rajya Sabha raised issues concerning the State. The JDS Chief said he will tour the State in favour of NDA nominees in the ensuing polls and would not be confined to Mandya alone. Party workers have assured me to work for his success in Mandya and I have left for them, said the former Chief Minister.

Hassan Lok Sabha Polls: Gowda Families` Political Rivalries Enter Third-Generation In 2024

Prajwal Revanna (33), the incumbent MP and grandson of the former Prime Minister, is running as the NDA candidate, while Shreyas Patel (31), the grandson of G Puttaswamy Gowda, is the nominee for the Congress party.

Former Pakistan first lady Bushra Bibi meets jailed husband Imran Khan on Eid

Former Pakistan first lady Bushra Bibi meets jailed husband Imran Khan on Eid Former First Lady of Pakistan Bushra Bibi was allowed to visit Adiala Jail in Islamabad to meet with her husband, PTI founder and former Prime Minister Imran Khan on the occasion of Eid, ARY News reported Bushra Bibi, who was sentenced to 14 years in the Toshakhana case and is housed in Bani Gala sub jail was brought to Adiala Jail in Islamabad on Wednesday to meet with Imran Khan. According to ARY News, the meeting was arranged by the police, following directives from the Islamabad High Court (IHC). Bushra Bibi was transferred from Bani Gala sub-jail to Adiala Jail for the meeting, which took place in the Conference Room of Adiala Jail Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered on April 1 to arrange a meeting between Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi on Eidul Fitr, as per ARY News. As per details, IHC's Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard Bushra Bibi's request to be transferred from Bani Gala Sub Jail to Adiala Jail. The court ordered the authorities to arrange Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi's meeting on the occasion of Eid and a meeting was also allowed once a week. Earlier, PTI's founder and the Adiala Jail administration decided on SOPs with mutual consent for visits to the PTI leader. The PTI's founder nominated three focal persons for visits to him in Adiala Jail. Chairman PTI Barrister Gohar Ali, Sher Afzal Marwat and Barrister Umair Niazi were named as focal persons for jail meetings. Each focal person could give two names for the visit. Recently, Imran Khan demanded a medical examination for his wife that she was as poisoned at Bani Gala sub-jail Following a medical examination of Imran Khan's wife by four top doctors, the medical report was made public. The report said that Bushra Bibi's appetite was not normal and she was suffering from stomach pain. Dr Asim Yousuf, the personal physician of PTI founder Imran Khan, had, however, also examined the former first lady medically and discovered no signs of any poisoning, the ARY News report said. Dr Yousuf said, hat no evidence of any poisonous substance being administered to the former first lady was found during the examination. (ANI)

Sundays for Modi: BJP embarks on micro-campaign

BENGALURU: As part of its political campaign, BJP Karnataka is appealing to common people who are PM Narendra Modis fans and followers, to take part in Naanu Modi Parivaara, Modigaagi Ondu Bhaanuvaara (Sundays for Modi). BJP election management committee convener V Sunil Kumar told reporters that retired officials, students, IT professionals, vendors and others will campaign during their morning walks, or at their apartment complexes or in their localities. This is an idea to involve common people and reach common people, he said. The party will hold this campaign on April 21 and 28. There are a large number of Modi fans who do not come for rallies or other events, but are keen to take up this initiative on Sundays. They will visit individual houses, meet people at hotels or other places and speak to them on their morning walks. They will reach out in their neighbourhoods, he said. BJP workers have been told to hold smaller meets in their backyards, two at each booth level. There are over 58,000 booths. Each meet will involve a small group of 25 to 50 people. By holding 500 such meets in each assembly constituency, we will be reaching more people. Small is big, he said. Party workers will also visit voters houses to explain how the state government has given Rs 2,000 to women but has placed a burden of Rs 4,500 on each family by increasing the price of milk and discontinuing many subsidies. They have been told to complete this by April 17. Modi, Gowda may share dais at Mysuru rally on April 14 For the first time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda are likely to take part in a public meeting sharing the dais on April 14 in Mysuru, with the BJP-JDS alliance vying for victory in Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan constituencies in the Old Mysuru region. Later in the day, Modi will take part in a roadshow in Mangaluru. BJP Election Management Committee convener V Sunil Kumar said the Prime Minister will address party workers from Mysuru, Mandya, Chamarajanagar and Hassan, along with the public, at 4 pm. BJP sources said that with Deve Gowdas presence in Mysuru, their party will get a boost in the Old Mysuru region. There are a large number of JDS voters here, which could help the party win big. Meanwhile, BJP has appealed to the people taking part in the rally and roadshow to apply mehendi on their palm in the shape of the partys symbol -- lotus. The colour is expected to stay for 15 days, which means till the poll dates for the first phase in Karnataka, said the sources. Modi will hold road show in Mangaluru on April 14 Mangaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a road show in Mangaluru at 5 pm on April 14 in order to drum up support for Capt Brijesh Chowta, the BJP candidate for Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency, instead of a public rally planned earlier. Initially, the BJP had announced that Modi would address a massive Vijaya Sankalpa Samavesha at Gold Finch City in Bangrakulur. Sathish Kumpala, Dakshina Kannada district BJP president, told reporters that the public rally was cancelled as state BJP leaders decided to organise a road show. Incidentally, local BJP leaders had also organised Chappara Mahurta at the Gold Finch City ground on Wednesday morning, just a few hours before they got news about the rallys cancellation. Kumpala said the PM will conduct the road show for nearly 2 km, from Narayana Guru Circle to Hampankatta. It will pass through Ballalbagh, PVS Junction and Navabharath Circle. He said the party will make all necessary arrangements to ensure that the road show is a big success. Party workers from Mangalore City South, Mangalore City North, Mangalore, and Moodbidri will attend in large numbers, he said.

El Nino & more: five months, and not a drop of rain yet

BENGALURU: It has been a harsh and stressful summer so far, and for the past five months, Karnataka has seen little or no rainfall, note experts and weathermen. Experts point out that it is not just urban areas that are recording deficit rainfall, even regions of the Western Ghats, especially the rainforest in Agumbe has recorded a prolonged dry spell. Locals, weathermen and experts say the situation has been the same over the past two years, with the summer being exceptionally harsh. Since March 2022, the rainfall pattern in the region has been poor, and is becoming a concern, due to which researchers have taken up studies on the nesting and breeding patterns of King Cobras, amphibians and other species in the region. Rising summer temperatures of 34-35 degree Celsius in the Western Ghats region indicates a rise in zoonotic diseases, reduced water availability downstream and rise in salinity in estuaries. Usually by March, there would at least be a spell of rain, but this time it is completely dry. Last year, there was a clear sky in July-August. There is sudden and untimely rainfall which is effecting herpetology, said noted snake expert from Agumbe, Gowri Shankar. As per India Meteorological Department (IMD) data, the state as a whole has recorded 94 per cent deficit rainfall, from March 1 till date. Against the normal of 17mm, the state has received 1mm rainfall. Agumbe has recorded 18 per cent deficit rainfall, and Shivamogga 87 per cent deficit. IMD-Bengaluru scientist A Prasad said it is not just the El Nino effect that has led to deficit rainfall and a warmer summer, the reverse upper air circulation is not allowing formation of clouds. Coastal Karnataka has recorded 86 per cent deficit rainfall, north interior Karnataka 91 per cent deficit and south interior Karnataka 97 per cent deficit rainfall. Prof TV Ramachandra from the Centre for Ecological Sciences, IISc, said studies have shown that wherever there is an increase in urbanisation and decrease in green cover, rainfall pattern has been affected. Studies have shown that while rainfall pattern continues to be around 3000- 4000mm in Sharavathi and Linganamakki, it has reduced to 1700-1900mm in Theerthahalli, Nandiholle and surrounding areas, since 1965, due to forest fragmentation and increased urbanisation. These are rain catchment areas, but are now seeing a deficit. In our report published in 2020, Insights of Forest Dynamics for the Regional Ecological Fragility Assessment, change in rain pattern was pointed out, he said. The paper analysed landscape dynamics and spatial patterns of forest fragmentation of Shivamogga district, central Western Ghats, and prioritized ecologically fragile or Ecologically Sensitive Regions (ESR) at the village level, based on bio-geo-climatic-social variables with land use dynamics considering temporal remote sensing data. Stay indoors, hydrated: IMD issues advisory The IMD has issued a set of advisories for the public given the mercury breaching the 370C mark in Bengaluru. The advisory has advised people not to venture out between 12 and 3 pm People should hydrate themselves, drink water even when not thirsty Avoid alcohol, tea, coffee, carbonated drinks Use ORS, homemade drinks like lassi, lemon water, buttermilk, etc Wear light-weight, light-coloured & porous cotton clothes Carry umbrellas when venturing out, wear goggles, use a damp cloth on head, neck, face, limbs, avoid hot water for bathing Do not leave children or pets unattended inside parked vehicles If you work in the field, use a hat or an umbrella, also use a damp cloth on your head, neck, face, limbs Keep animals in shade and give plenty of water to drink. Athletes should avoid strenuous activities when the outside temperature is high. Avoid working out outside between noon and 3 pm While traveling, carry water Heatwave warning The IMD has issued a heatwave warning for Bagalkot, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Koppal, Yadgir, and Ballari as most of these places have recorded temperatures 2 degrees Celsius above normal Light rain likely There will be light rainfall at isolated places over Bidar, Chikkamagaluru, Kalaburagi, Vijayapura, Kodagu, Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagara, Shivamogga, Hassan, Chitradurga and Tumakuru between April 10 and 14

Karnataka SSLC Class 10 results expected in first week of May 2024

KSEAB prepares to unveil Karnataka SSLC Class 10 results by the first week of May, as reported by media sources. With evaluation pending, officials anticipate swift result access via official websites. Last year's 83% pass rate showed a slight dip from the previous year. Female students continued to outperform males, securing an impressive 87% pass rate. Top-performing districts included Chitradurga, Mandya, and Hassan, while Bengaluru South reported a lower pass percentage, prompting investigative action.

Preetham Gowda campaigns for NDA candidate in Hassan

Hassan: Two Gowda scions take their families legendary political battle into third generation

In the 1980s and 1990s, HD Deve Gowda, the former PM, and G Puttaswamy Gowda, a former minister, dominated the district politics. While the ex-PM was an important leader of the Janata Party and later Janta Dal and now JDS, Gowda had been the local Congress face. Both sported white dhoti and white shirts and were deeply engaged in Hassan district politics. Both enjoyed the backing of Vokkaligas, the second largest community in Karnataka. Both fought for the assembly seat of Holenarasipur before extending their fight in the Hassan Lok Sabha seat.

Political battle spanning four decades intensifies in Hassan, the home turf of former PM Deve Gowda

Political battle spanning four decades intensifies in Hassan, the home turf of former PM Deve Gowda The four-decade-old political battle between two influential families will once again be in sharp focus in this Lok Sabha polls, with members of their third-generation fighting it out in Hassan, which once hosted the capital of Hoysala kingdom. Known for its world-renowned Hoysala period architectural marvels and UNESCO world heritage sites like Belur, Halebedu, and also Jain sanctuary Shravanabelagola, Hassan, which lies partly in the 'malnad' tract and in the southern plains, gave the country its first Kannadiga Prime Minister -- H D Deve Gowda. The latest in the duel involving Deve Gowda's and his fierce opponent former Minister late G Puttaswamy Gowda's families, will see their grandsons battling it out in the Lok Sabha polls, in this Vokkaliga-dominated district. Deve Gowda's grandson, the 33-year-old Prajwal Revanna, is seeking reelection from the seat as the joint candidate of the BJP-JD(S) alliance, while Congress has named 31-year-old Shreyas M Patel, the grandson of Puttaswamy Gowda. Puttaswamy Gowda contested against Deve Gowda of the erstwhile Janata Party for the first time in 1985, as an independent candidate, after he was denied the Congress ticket from the Holenarasipura assembly segment, but lost. However, as Congress candidate, he defeated Deve Gowda in the 1989 Assembly election and also in the 1999 Lok Sabha election from Hassan. Puttaswamy Gowda had also faced defeat against Deve Gowda's son and former Minister H D Revanna, a six-time MLA from Holenarasipura, in 1994 and 2004 Assembly polls. Subsequently, his daughter-in-law S G Anupama too from Congress unsuccessfully contested against Revanna in the 2008 and 2013 Assembly polls. In fact, Shreyas Patel too had contested against Revanna in Holenarasipura in the assembly polls last year, on a Congress ticket, but lost by 3,152 votes. Prajwal is hopeful of asserting supremacy in his grandfather's home turf, staving off some amount of ''anti incumbency'', and riding on the Deve Gowda's factor, JD(S)' own strength from the support of Vokkaliga vote base, coupled with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity and BJP's support. Deve Gowda, the JD(S) patriarch and national president, had represented Hassan Lok Sabha seat five times. In 2019 he made way for Prajwal. Prajwal had as the joint candidate of Congress-JD(S) alliance won the seat in 2019 Lok Sabha polls by 1,41,324 votes. He was one among the only two candidates of the then ruling alliance in Karnataka to win in the state, the other being D K Suresh of Congress from Bangalore Rural. Interestingly, A Manju, who contested against Deve Gowda and Prajwal in 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Congress and BJP respectively, is now the JD(S) MLA from Arkalgud. Shreyas Patel, a former Hassan zilla panchayat member, who is said to have got the Congress' ticket based on his performance in Assembly polls, hopes for the momentum to continue in his favour, along with the state government's guarantee schemes that his party is banking on. Patel, also a Vokkaliga, is determined to snatch the seat from Prajwal, and repeat his grandfather Puttaswamy Gowda's emphatic victory over Deve Gowda in the 1999 Lok Sabha polls. The 90-year-old Deve Gowda has been campaigning for Prajwal, but this election is going to be tough for him, a party insider said, noting that there is palpable anti-incumbency against him; also his alleged failure in taking along local party workers and leaders, coupled with antagonisation of local BJP leaders ''may prove costly for him''. However, stating that it will be an advantage for Prajwal because of the BJP-JD(S) alliance, as the saffron party's vote is expected to shift in his favour, a BJP functionary said for this to happen there should be diligent partnership between workers of the two parties on the ground. Pointing out that for several saffron party leaders and workers in the district including its state general secretary Preetham J Gowda, who have fought the JD(S) and Deve Gowda family politically here, it's difficult to support Prajwal now, a BJP leader said, adding, ''they have shown reluctance in campaigning for Prajwal, despite attempts by leadership of both alliance partners to convince them...but, they may relent and show up under pressure in the future.'' In an effort to placate the BJP and RSS support base in the district, Prajwal has even apologised for his earlier remarks against the RSS. Expressing confidence about his win, Prajwal said both BJP and JD(S) are working unitedly and voters of both parties too will support him as he is joint candidate of the alliance. ''They (people) want to make Modi PM once again and give more strength to Deve Gowda here,'' he said. For Shreyas, the Vokkaliga sub-caste factor may also work in his favour, as he may be able to consolidate the 'Dasa Vokkaliga' votes, which has a larger presence in the constituency, as he belongs to the community. The Deve Gowda family belongs to 'Mullu Vokkaliga' sub-caste. With JD(S) joining hands with BJP, minority community and anti-BJP votes may consolidate in Shreyas's favour, a Congress leader said, adding that anti-incumbency against Prajwal may also help him. However, not everyone is happy in the Hassan Congress with Shreyas's candidature, and if all the leaders don't work together, the hopes of regaining the seat will remain a dream, he pointed out. Shreyas said people of Hassan are voluntarily looking for change this time and there is a favourable atmosphere for Congress. ... Prajwal cannot win independently and is taking BJP's support... The development he (Prajwal) claims is only in his booklet and not on the ground,'' he said. Hassan Lok Sabha constituency has eight assembly segments, with JD(S) holding four seats, while BJP and Congress two each.

PCB recalls five players for West Indies white-ball series

PCB recalls five players for West Indies white-ball series Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday recalled five women cricketers to the white-ball squads as the National Women's Selection Committee, led by Saleem Jaffar, announced 16-member ODI and T20I squads against the West Indies women's team. The three ODIs - part of ICC Women's Championship 2022-25 - will be played between April 18 and 23, while the five T20Is will take place from April 26 to May 3. All eight matches will be played at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, PCB said in an official statement. Wicketkeeper-batter Sidra Nawaz and Ayesha Zafar are two experienced players who earned a recall to the T20I squad. The other three players who returned to the T20I team were Gull Feroza, Rameen Shamim, and Tuba Hassan. Tuba was also added to the ODI team for the series. Leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima was rested to aid with her rehabilitation from minor injuries suffered in a vehicle accident last week. Senior player Bismah Maroof, who was injured in the same accident, has been named to both squads but will be selected following a fitness test next week. Five players in the squads return due to their performances in the domestic tournament and the good skills they demonstrated in the camp, chief selector Saleem Jaffar said in a statement by PCB. The series against the West Indies is important for us as the ODIs are part of the ICC Women's Championship 2022-25. We are aiming to secure maximum points in the series, taking advantage of our home conditions, to enhance our chances for direct qualification for next year's ICC Women's ODI World Cup, Jaffar added. The series against the West Indies also presents an opportunity for the players to showcase their skills and secure berths for next month's England tour. The ongoing domestic one-day tournament continues to provide chances to players not involved in the series against the West Indies to produce strong performances and stake claims for places in the England series, the chief selector said. ODI squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Bismah Maroof (subject to fitness), Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (wk), Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar. T20I squad: Nida Dar (captain), Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof (subject to fitness), Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Gull Feroza, Muneeba Ali (wk), Najiha Alvi (wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Rameen Shamim, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Tuba Hassan and Umm-e-Hani. (ANI)

EXPLAINER-What is Hezbollah, the group backing Hamas against Israel?

EXPLAINER-What is Hezbollah, the group backing Hamas against Israel? Hostilities between Lebanon's Hezbollah and Israel have rumbled on in parallel to the Gaza war for more than six months, fuelling concern about the risk of a wider conflict between the heavily armed adversaries. Underlining that risk, Israel said on Sunday that it had completed another step in preparing for a possible war along its northern front. This is a primer on Hezbollah and its role in the war: WHAT ARE HEZBOLLAH'S ORIGINS? Iran's Revolutionary Guards founded Hezbollah in 1982 during Lebanon's 1975-90 civil war, part of Iran's effort to export its 1979 Islamic Revolution and fight Israeli forces which had invaded Lebanon in 1982. The group has risen from a shadowy faction to a heavily armed force with big sway in Lebanon and the region. Western governments including the United States designate it a terrorist group. So do Sunni Muslim Gulf Arab states including Saudi Arabia. Hezbollah is a Shi'ite Islamist group and shares the ideology of the Islamic Republic of Iran. HOW DID HEZBOLLAH GET INVOLVED IN THIS WAR? Hezbollah is a powerful part of the Axis of Resistance, an alliance of Iran-backed groups across the Middle East that also includes the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which ignited the Gaza war by attacking Israel on Oct. 7. Declaring solidarity with the Palestinians, Hezbollah began firing on Israeli positions in the frontier region on Oct. 8. The sides have been trading fire on a near daily basis since then, with Hezbollah launching rockets and drones and Israel mounting air and artillery strikes. The attacks have mostly struck near or at the frontier, but both sides have also widened their attacks in recent weeks. Israeli strikes have killed some 240 Hezbollah fighters including top commanders in Lebanon since Oct. 7, in addition to a further 30 killed in Israeli strikes in Syria. Overall, this equals Hezbollah's losses in the 2006 war with Israel. As of April 3, at least 66 civilians have been killed in Lebanon, according to a U.N. report. Attacks from Lebanon have killed 18 people - soldiers and civilians - on the Israeli side. Tens of thousands have been uprooted in Lebanon and Israel. HOW POWERFUL IS HEZBOLLAH'S MILITARY? While other groups disarmed after Lebanon's civil war, Hezbollah kept its weapons to fight Israeli forces that were occupying the predominantly Shi'ite Muslim south of the country. Years of guerrilla warfare led Israel to withdraw in 2000. Hezbollah demonstrated military advances in 2006 during a five-week war with Israel, which erupted after it crossed into Israel, kidnapping two soldiers and killing others. Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets into Israel during the conflict, in which 1,200 people were killed in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 158 Israelis were killed, most of them soldiers. Hezbollah's military power grew after 2006. The group says its rockets can strike all parts of Israel and its arsenal includes precision missiles. During the Gaza war, Hezbollah has announced attacks using surface-to-air missiles - a weapon it was long believed to have in its arsenal but had never before confirmed possessing. It has also launched explosive drones at Israel. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has said the group has 100,000 fighters. The U.S. Central Intelligence Agency's World Factbook says Hezbollah was estimated in 2022 to have 45,000 fighters, split between roughly 20,000 full-time and 25,000 reservists. WHAT REGIONAL SWAY DOES HEZBOLLAH HAVE? Hezbollah has inspired and supported other Iranian-backed groups across the region, including Iraqi Shi'ite militias. It played a big part in helping its ally President Bashar al-Assad fight the war in Syria, where it still has fighters. Saudi Arabia says Hezbollah has also fought in support of the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen. Hezbollah denies this. WHAT IS HEZBOLLAH'S ROLE IN LEBANON? Hezbollah's influence is underpinned by both its weaponry and the support of many Lebanese Shi'ites who say the group defends Lebanon from Israel. It has ministers in government and lawmakers in parliament. Lebanese parties opposed to Hezbollah say the group has undermined the state and unilaterally dragged Lebanon into wars. It entered Lebanese politics in 1992, contesting elections, and began taking a more prominent role in state affairs in 2005 after Syria withdrew forces from Lebanon following the killing of former prime minister Rafik al-Hariri, a Sunni politician who symbolised Saudi influence in Beirut. A U.N.-backed court convicted three Hezbollah members in absentia over the assassination. Hezbollah denies any role, describing the court as a tool of its enemies. In 2008, a power struggle between Hezbollah and its Lebanese political foes led to armed conflict, after the government vowed to take action against the group's military communications network. Hezbollah fighters took over parts of Beirut. In 2018 Hezbollah and allies who support its possession of arms won a parliamentary majority. This was lost in 2022, but the group still has major political sway. ACCUSED OF ATTACKS ON WESTERN INTERESTS Lebanese officials and Western intelligence have said groups linked to Hezbollah carried out suicide attacks on Western embassies and targets, and kidnapped Westerners in the 1980s. The United States holds Hezbollah responsible for suicide bombings in 1983 that destroyed the U.S. Marine headquarters in Beirut, killing 241 servicemen, and a French barracks, killing 58 French paratroopers. It also says Hezbollah was behind a suicide attack on the U.S. embassy in Beirut in 1983. Referring to those attacks and hostage-taking, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a 2022 interview that they were carried out by small groups not linked to Hezbollah. Hezbollah has also been accused of militant attacks elsewhere. Argentina blames it and Iran for the deadly bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in which 85 people died in 1994 and for an attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 that killed 29 people. Both deny any responsibility. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Edmund Blair, William Maclean)

I-League: Ten-man Inter Kashi hold Sreenidi Deccan to wrap up season

I-League: Ten-man Inter Kashi hold Sreenidi Deccan to wrap up season Inter Kashi ended their I-League 2023-24 campaign with a 1-1 draw against Sreenidi Deccan FC at the Kalyani Stadium on Monday. With their title charge coming to an end on Saturday when Mohammedan Sporting were crowned champions, it was more or less a dead rubber for Sreenidi Deccan, who have already confirmed their runners-up spot. With the draw, Inter Kashi moved to third place in the table with 41 points. Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala are behind them with 40 and 39 points, respectively, with both having a game in hand. In any scenario, Inter Kashi will end their maiden season in the top five, mainly thanks to their amazing form in the second half of the campaign which saw them go unbeaten in their last 11 matches. It took Sreenidi Deccan 41 minutes to open the scoring and they did so with a fine header from David Castaneda Munoz, who leapt the highest to get on the end of a Faysal Shayesteh corner. Having undergone a bit of a rough patch at the start of the season, the Colombian has now scored in six of his last eight matches. He has also reached 10 goals in the current campaign, the third season in a row where he has hit double-digit figures, exhibiting his remarkable consistency for the Deccan Warriors. Just five minutes into the second half, Inter Kashi were reduced to ten men when defender Sandip Mandi picked up a second yellow card. It was all Sreenidi Deccan after that with the likes of Castaneda, Rosenberg Gabriel and substitute Rilwan Hassan getting several chances. But Inter Kashi defended resolutely in numbers, with goalkeeper Arindam Bhattacharya also pulling off some fine saves to keep the deficit at one goal. The home side's defensive efforts paid off in the 87th minute when they won a penalty after Edmund Lalrindika was adjudged to have been fouled by Eli Sabia in the box. Spaniard Julen Perez stepped up and confidently slotted it past Ubaid CK to equalise for Inter Kashi. It was the 23-year-old's first-ever goal in the I-League. Sreenidi Deccan will now return home to Hyderabad to take on Shillong Lajong in their final game of the season on April 13. (ANI)

CAA will be annulled if INDIA bloc is voted to power: V D Satheesan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : At a time when the BJP has claimed that if voted to power it would make changes to constitutional law, the Congress state leadership has promised to cancel those laws which have been implemented against it. Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan informed that Citizenship Amendment Act will be the first to be annulled by the INDIA bloc if voted to power. Satheesan was speaking after inaugurating a discussion on Congress manifesto at Thiruvananthapuram Press Club on Monday. Satheesan alleged that the BJP government has abandoned economic planning and instead is giving thrust to projects. When the Congress manifesto had come under flak from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP camp, the Congress state leadership decided to host an event to explain the party manifesto which saw experts from various sectors highlighting the points. Taking potshots against the prime minister, Satheesan claimed that if planning was given priority earlier to ensure the countrys growth and development, now the Centre is coming up with projects for corporates on a large scale. Unfortunately the Centre is not considering people belonging to backward sections. It is not their focus at all. They aim at extracting commission while eying projects, said Satheesan. CWC leader Ramesh Chennithala, who presided over the programme, termed the Congress manifesto as a magna carta which provides justice to the people. The peoples views and their opinions garnered during Rahul Gandhis Bharat Jodo Yatra have been included in the Congress manifesto. I am urging the people to come forward to end the decade-long misrule, said Chennithala. Congress state president in-charge M M Hassan recalled that there are 18 cases against Rahul Gandhi just because he spoke against CAA. He added that no case was registered against Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for speaking against CAA.

Hassan twist: Preetam followers shock Prajwal, support Shreyas

HASSAN: NDA alliance candidate in Hassan Prajwal Revanna got a rude shock, after a section of BJP workers decided to campaign for Congress candidate Shreyas Patel. The BJP workers are led by Uddur Purushotam, a confidant of former BJP MLA Preetam J Gowda. Purushotam, who reportedly played a key role in Preetams victory in Hassan in the 2018 assembly elections, met Shreyas Patel along with hundreds of BJP workers. Purushotam promised Shreyas that they would support him and also campaign for the Congress. Purushotam took the decision close on the heels of BJP Karnataka election in-charge Radhamohan Das Agarwal promising JDS leaders that he would take the initiative to patch up differences between Preetam and Prajwal, after taking Preetam into confidence recently. However, there is no sign of an end to the rift between Preetam Gowda and Prajwal Revanna, as senior BJP leaders are reportedly not interested in resolving the issue. Agarwal, who was in Hassan recently, promised BJP and JDS leaders that he would make sincere efforts to resolve the issue by taking Prajwal to Preetam, who is campaigning for NDA candidate Yaduveer Krishnadatta Wadiyar in Mysuru. Agarwal, though, went back on his word and said Preetam would campaign for Prajwal whenever he visits Hassan, and is currently busy in Mysuru.

PMs Chennai Roadshow on Wednesday

Chennai: The BJP has organized a massive election road show in the busy T Nagar area during the evening peak hours on Tuesday for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reach out to the people and to introduce his party candidates contesting from the three constituencies in Chennai, Tamilisai Soundararajan in South Chennai, Vinoj P Selvam in Central Chennai and R C Paul Kanagraj in North Chennai. Arriving at Chennai in the evening, Modi would drive to T Nagar to take part in the road show at 6 pm in the bustling Thyagaraya Road that would be out of bound for all vehicles from 3 pm. Since the police expect many political leaders, party people and the general public to witness the road show they have made the entire area around it a no parking zone. Since the police had also banned commercial vehicles plying on some of the roads around T Nagar like from Vadapalani towards T Nagar and Valluvar Kottam, Kathipara flyover to Saidapet, CPT towards airport and Gandhi Mandapam, Tidel Park to Gandhi Mandapam and Anna statue towards Anna Salai, traffic movement all over Chennai could be thrown out of gear. Unveiling details of the Prime Ministers visit, BJP State president K Annamalai said that Modi would stay for the night in Raj Bhavan after the roadshow and leave by helicopter on Wednesday morning to Vellore where he would address an election meeting in support of the NDA candidates from Dharmapuri constituency, Sowmiya Anbumani of PMK, and Vellore constituency, A C Shanmugham of the Puthiya Needhi Katchi, who is contesting on the Lotus symbol. From Vellore, Modi would fly by helicopter to Mettupalayam for a rally in which BJP candidates of Nilgiris (Union Minister of State L Murugan), Coimbatore (Annamalai) and Pollachi (K Vasantha Rajan) would be introduced to the voters. The Prime Minister would return to the State on Friday, April 12, to visit constituencies that he had not visited in the recent days and canvass votes for the candidates of the party and its allies to ensure that he covers the entire Tamil Nadu and endear himself to the people, keeping in tune with the BJPs plan to make a mark in the State that had been shy of voting for it. Annamalai, speaking to the media at Saravanampatti in Coimbatore, took objection to Makkal Needhi Maiam found Kamal Haasans statement that the BJP would shift the nations capital to Nagpur if it was voted back to power and said that he should go for a medical checkup. He said Kamal Hassan had sold his party for one Rajya Sabha seat. On the DMK President and Chief Minister, M K Stalin, announcing an international cricket stadium at a cost of Rs 4000 crore for Coimbatore, Annamalai said that Coimbatore lacked in many basic amenities like good roads and drains. Though an international Stadium was welcome, his party was in favour of small stadiums with basic sports infrastructure that would develop sports in the region. He dismissed the promise of Stalin as yet another election stunt that would turn out to be a false promise. To a question on the seizure of Rs 4 crore cash that allegedly belonged to BJPs Tirunnelveli candidate Nainar Nagendran, he said that Nagendran had denied having anything to do with the cash confiscated from a train and it was the political parties that were trying to play politics with it when it should be left to flying squad and the Election Commission of India to investigate the matter.

Some associates of Preetham Gowda meet Cong. candidate in Hassan, fuel speculation

Prajwal Revanna is expected to meet Preetham Gowda in Hassan on Tuesday and seek his support.

General poll observer to receive complaints from public in Hassan

Hassan LS seat: 15 candidates remain in fray

Hyderabad: Police arrest three in robbery near Salarjung Museum

Hyderabad: The Mirchowk Police made a breakthrough on Sunday, apprehending three individuals involved in a robbery near Salarjung Museum that took place on April 5. Along with the arrests, the police successfully recovered cash, a cutter, and an auto believed to be linked to the crime. The arrested suspects were identified as Syed Abul Hassan Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News , Technology , Entertainment , Sports , Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp & Telegram by subscribing to our channels. You can also download our app for Android and iOS .

London Iqra Hassan Kairana

London (Iqra Hassan) (Kairana) (BJP) ( Nahid Hasan) . Ravish Ranjan Shukla

Pakistan: MQM-P slams PPP govt over failure to control street criminals in Karachi

Pakistan: MQM-P slams PPP govt over failure to control street criminals in Karachi The Muttahida Qaumi Movement - Pakistan (MQM-P) has slammed the Pakistan Peoples Party government in Sindh for its failure to control street criminals in Karachi, Pakistan-based The Express Tribune reported. The MQM-P has called on Pakistan's top security official to address the deteriorating security conditions in Karachi. MQM-P Senator Faisal Subzwari said that the PPP had the government in the province for the past 16 years, yet the people were not safe from Karachi to Kashmore. He made the remarks at a press conference in Karachi on Sunday. While calling on Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to visit Karachi and summon Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Subzwari said, No action is being taken against armed gangs and dacoits in Kashmore or against street crime in Karachi. He demanded summoning provincial officials and for the federal interior minister to form a committee. He said, We requested that a neighbourhood watch system should be implemented. If the Sindh government won't, then we would implement this mechanism, The Express Tribune reported. He noted that under the proposed system, concerned residents of the city would guard their areas and work on the security and safety of their own neighbourhoods. He also called for a rise in police patrolling in middle-class and poorer areas of the city. Faisal Subzwari said mainly motorcycles and mobile phones were stolen by street criminals. He noted that mobile phones are stolen in the city each year and wondered if it was possible to believe that the police were not involved. Is it conceivable that police checkpoints are not present at all entry and exit points of the city? Of course they are. Then is it conceivable that the market for stolen phones in the city runs without the patronage of the police? he asked, according to The Express Tribune report. Criticising Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar, Subzwari said the minister should fix his attitude and open his eyes and ears before opening his mouth. He made the remarks after Lanjar at a recent press conference said that the law and order situation in Karachi was currently much better than what it used to be in the previous years. He further said that a hype had been created over the issue of street crime in Karachi. Subzwari said, You have a heavy responsibility [...] now you are not the coordinator of a political person. You are not just a member of the Sindh Assembly. You are the home minister of the entire province. He said that if Lanjar is not aware about the state of affairs, then Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah should know. He said the MQM-P would hold meetings in every neighbourhood to find a solution to street crime. He called on the Sindh High Court (SHC) chief justice to take notice of the lawlessness and called street crime an industry. He requested the SHC chief justice to take this matter up in court. Subzwari said, Call all institutions and ask what is happening, how it is happening and who is making it happen. Meanwhile, MQM-P leader Khawaja Izharul Hassan said the party is constantly raising its voice on the situation in Karachi, The Express Tribune reported. Speaking about the appointment of the Sindh inspector general, he claimed that the provincial government had lackmailed the PML-N to appoint someone of their choice. Khawaja Izharul Hassan said, They [dacoits] have been given the licence to kill after the appointment of the Sindh IG, the home minister and the chief minister. Reacting to the press conference, Sindh Home Minister Lanjar said that ensuring peace and order in the province was the government's priority. In a statement, he said that the PPP was trying to eliminate dacoits from Karachi and insisted that the government had faith in police and law enforcement agencies. (ANI)

Hyderabad: Three robbers arrested for stabbing auto driver in Mirchowk

HYDERABAD: Three offenders on Sunday were apprehended by the Mirchowk police in connection with a violent robbery case, that occurred on Salarjung Museum Road in Dharulshifa. According to the police, the victim - Mohammed Dasthagiri, 35 - an auto driver, had halted at Chilla on Salarjung Museum Road, Dharulshifa, after his rounds during the night. Meanwhile, the two main accused - Syed Abul Hassan, 32 and Syed Taleb Ali, 22 - along with an auto driver Syed Tahar Ali, 30, reached the spot in an auto. The duo, in order to threaten the victim, took out their knife. One among them stabbed the victim on his right thigh, demanded money and also took away his mobile phone. The other accused stabbed him on his left thigh before leaving. After his treatment at Osmania Hospital, the victim reached out to the Mirchowk police and lodged a complaint. Following this, a probe was initiated, which further revealed that the trio were identified in various cases of this sort in the past as well.

Karnataka: Kalaburagi bakes at 42.7 degree Celsius

Bengaluru: Several parts of Karnataka have been experiencing extremely hot weather, of which Kalaburagi district recorded the highest temperature in the state at 42.7 degree Celsius on Sunday. Kalaburagi had recorded 43.1 degree Celsius on Saturday and 43.3 on Friday. Bengaluru on Sunday recorded 37.2 degree Celsius. The capital city, which is known for its salubrious weather had registered 37.6 on Saturday, which was the highest in the past eight years. Districts that are facing severe hot weather are Bagalkote, Koppal, Chamarajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Davangere, Hassan, Mandya and Vijayapura district. The Meteorology Department has also forecast dry weather for the state. However, light rainfall is likely to occur in isolated places over Chamrajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and Shivamogga district in the next 24 hours. It also predicted light rainfall on Tuesday at isolated places over Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Bidar, Kalaburgi, Raichur, Yadgir, Chamrajanagar, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and Shivamogga districts. The Met department said that the hot and humid conditions are likely to prevail over Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Kodagu and Western parts of Chikkamagalur districts for the next two days. Maximum Temperature is very likely to gradually rise by 2 degree C to 4 degree C over all the districts of North Interior Karnataka and over Bengaluru Rural and Urban districts, Ramanagara, Shivamogga, Davanagere, Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan and Tumakuru districts of South Interior Karnataka during next two days, the department said. It also said that nights would be warm in Uttara Kannada, Belagavi, Bagalkote, Dharwad, Raichur and Kalburgi districts during the next two days. A heat wave is also predicted in Belagavi, Bidar,Vijayapura, Bagalkote, Gadag, Kalaburagi, Haveri, Dharwad, Koppal, Raichur, Yadagiri, Ballari, Chitradurga, Davangere and Vijayanagara districts in the next 24 hours. In view of the hot weather in Bengaluru, sunstroke wards have been opened in most hospitals, including the KC General Ward. Doctors have advised people not to venture out without covering their heads and to hydrate themselves properly to avoid heatstrokes.

Karnataka: Prajwal apologises to RSS

HASSAN: NDA candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency Prajwal Revanna on Sunday tendered an apology for his alleged remarks against the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), at a joint campaign meeting in Hassan and Sakleshpur. It may be recalled that Prajwal, at a JDS workers meeting, had lashed out at the RSS and its functionaries, saying they will run away if JDS youth workers wake up. Prajwal also ridiculed the RSS and compared JDS youth workers to lions. Tendering an apology while campaigning in Hassan, where Brahmin community members were present, Prajwal said he didnt know about the responsibilities of RSS and its functionaries and had made the remarks due to ignorance about the RSS. Later, he realised that RSS and its workers are committed to working for the welfare of society and nation, without expecting anything. The audio of Prajwal attacking the RSS went viral on social media, following which RSS workers expressed unhappiness. Prajwal tendered his apology in the presence of JDS leader and former Brahmin Development Corporation TC Anantasubbarao, former Hassan ZP president Satyanarayana and BJP leader and former Arasikere TMC president ND Prasad. Prajwal also tendered an apology while campaigning at Sakleshpur town on Saturday.

LSGD wants parties to pay for campaign waste disposal

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government wants political parties to clean up their act! In a major move, the local self-government department (LSGD) has proposed that the state chief electoral officer make political parties and candidates financially accountable for the tonnes of waste generated during Lok Sabha election campaigns. It is estimated that a minimum of 5,000 tonnes of campaign material waste will be generated in the state this poll season. As per a study conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment, around 6,000 tonnes of plastic waste alone was generated during the 2019 LS election in the country. According to the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, the producer should pay for the waste generated by them. Ever since the launch of the Malinya Muktham Nava Keralam campaign, the rules have been implemented strictly in the state. The government also brought out an ordinance to collect a user fee, along with the taxes, for those failing to foot the bill. It is learnt that the cost of disposing 1kg of unsegregated waste ranges from Rs 6 to Rs 10. This is a huge burden on the financially struggling local bodies in the state. Political parties and candidates are not immune to these rules and regulations. Just like any other citizen or institution, they are also bound to be financially accountable for the waste generated during election campaigns, said a top official of LSG department. According to the official, discussions in this regard are ongoing with election authorities. Candidates are splurging to run their campaigns, and it shouldnt be a problem for them to set aside funds for the disposal of campaign waste generated by them, the official added. The LSGD in collaboration with the chief electoral officer has come out with a special handbook on green protocols to be followed for the Lok Sabha election. The state has enforced guidelines and regulations mandating the use of eco-friendly materials for campaign purposes to reduce waste accumulation and promote sustainable practices. Reacting to the proposal, CPM state secretary M V Govindan told TNIE that rules and regulations are applicable to everyone, including politicians. We as a major political party in Kerala will welcome such a move, he said. State Congress president in-charge M M Hassan said his party and candidates are strictly following the green protocol and every rule mandated by the election commission. We have issued strict directions to party workers to follow the protocols and curb the use of disposables and plastic during the campaign, said Hassan. BJP leader and Thiruvananthapuram corporation councillor V V Rajesh said local bodies and parties are equally responsible for the handling of waste generated during the election. Healthy discussions should be held with political parties before enforcing such decision, he opined.

Top brass enters picture as BS Yediyurappa, BY Vijayendra fail to contain rebels in Karnataka

BENGALURU: Even as the BJP national leadership is trying to patch up differences between former chief minister BS Yediyurappa and his rivals in certain Lok Sabha constituencies, the confusion prevails. In Shivamogga, the standoff continues between the factions aligned to Yediyurappa and KS Eshwarappa, a former BJP minister, contesting as an independent against Yediyurappas son and sitting MP BY Raghavendra. Eshwarappa claims that the party high command has given him a silent assent to contest. In Hassan, BJP state in-charge Radhamohandas Agarwal reached out to former MLA Preetham J Gowda, who is BJP state general secretary and a loyalist of party state president BY Vijayendra. Preetham had turned hostile against sitting MP Prajwal Revanna, the BJP-JDS alliance candidate from the Hassan constituency. Preetham has since been shifted as in charge of Mysuru-Kodagu and Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituencies to control the damage. Agarwal said Preetham will campaign for Prajwal in select places, if needed. In an effort to cash in on the differences within BJP, Deputy Chief Minister and Congress state president DK Shivakumar, during his visit to Hassan recently, asked Preetham to be careful while backing Prajwal in the bastion of the Vokkaliga community, to which both Preetham and Shivakumar belong. In Tumakuru, Agarwal on Saturday met former minister and Yediyurappa loyalist JC Madhuswamy, who was an aspirant for the ticket and is now upset with the party picking S Somanna. Agarwal passed on the message from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to Madhuswamy that Somanna is his candidate. Madhuswamy, who did not meet Somanna, received Congress candidate SP Muddahanume Gowda on Sunday. We are long-time friends and he sought my support. But how can I commit to it, being in a different party, Madhuswamy asked. He has been shifted as in charge of the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency. In fact, the high command had asked Somanna not to contest, but he has taken the risk. Muddahanume Gowda, who was with BJP till recently, switched back to Congress after he got a clue that Somanna would be the BJP candidate. BJP sources said the high command has intervened as Yediyurappa and Vijayendra have not been able to contain dissidence, including by their own loyalists. Yediyurappa could not convince MLAs ST Somashekar of the Yeshwanthpur segment in Bengaluru and Shivaram Hebbar of Yellapur in Uttara Kannada district, to stay back in BJP. The two legislators have been in touch with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar to campaign for the Congress candidates. In the meantime, BJP MLC Tejaswini Gowda resigned from her post to join Congress, while Shivakumar met another MLC KP Nanjundi on Sunday. Both were Yediyurappa loyalists. Even during the last Assembly polls, Yediyurappa could not stop the migration of a large section of BJP leaders to Congress. For the Lok Sabha elections too, there are murmurs within the party that Yediyurappa is focussing more on his choice of BJP candidates. Before the Assembly elections, senior BJP leader Basanagouda Patil Yatnal and Kodagu-Mysuru MP Pratap Simha had raised the issue of adjustment politics, apparently targeting Yediyurappa, that cost the party dear. The party high command managed to check the damage to an extent then. But if such allegations are true, Congress and BJP could win 14 seats each, out of the total 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. This could end the BJPs alliance with JDS, a leader observed. If Congress scores in double digits in the Lok Sabha elections, both Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar will retain their positions, and Congress will remain in power. BJP will have to wait till the next Assembly elections to grab power, he added.

Power Games | Parties go all-out to pick best candidate

Battle Preparedness Parties go all-out to pick best candidate The current Lok Sabha election is a keenly contested battle in which all political parties are trying to put up the best possible candidates in every parliamentary seat. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadavs failed attempt to change the Moradabad candidate on the last day of filing nomination after he fell out with the jailed co-founder of his party Azam Khan drew a lot of media attention. The Akhilesh-Azam brinkmanship had all the makings of a potboiler. Akhilesh travelling to jail to meet the veteran leader; Azam putting tough conditions for lending support to Samajwadi candidates and then both reportedly going back on their promises. As a result, Akhilesh got stuck with a candidate he didnt want in Moradabad and Azam didnt get the candidate he wanted in his stronghold Rampur. It was quite a thriller. But who can beat Lalu Yadav when it comes to delivering an interesting story. Lalus search for the right candidate for the Munger Lok Sabha constituency against former president of the Janata Dal (United) and Nitish Kumars confidant Rajiv Ranjan aka Lalan Singh led him to local strongman Ashok Mahto. But there was a problem. Mahto had walked out of jail after seventeen years only a year back while the law puts a six-year bar on persons convicted for over two years in criminal cases. Lalu found a novel solution to a seemingly difficult impasse. A decision was taken to help Mahto, who was a bachelor, find a bride and then give his wife the Lok Sabha ticket from Munger. A hunt was launched for a suitable girl for Mahto and he married Anita Kumari. Anita will now take on Lalan. Media Matters Govt may look into BBCs new partnership The BBC has outsourced its entire business of generating news content in six Indian languages to a newly created entity Collective Newsroom. The BBC top brass is flying down from London for the formal launch of the new entity on April 12 in Delhi. The Collective Newsrooms owners and employees are all BBC staff who are now part of the new company. The four founders of the Collective Newsroom are Rupa Jha, who was the editor of languages till the day the new entity was formed, Sara Hassan, a general manager at the BBC, Sanjoy Majumder, managing editor of the BBC and Mukesh Sharma, digital editor of the BBC. Two hundred employees of the BBC have now shifted to the new company. The Collective Newsroom is practically the BBC with a new name and management. The BBC will pay Collective Newsroom a fee for news gathering (salaries of journalists and support staff) and operational expenses (office rentals and other overheads) which will be equal to what the British company was spending on these heads when it directly controlled these operations. The only difference is that Collective Newsroom is a hundred per cent Indian-owned company, while the BBC was a foreign company. The Collective Newsroom was formed as a recent change in the FDI laws barred foreign entities from owning more than 26% of Indian digital news companies. The BBC, UK owned almost 100% of the company managing its India operations. The BBCs UK arm has now applied for a 26% stake in Collective Newsroom. Government sources said the tax authorities will look into the beneficial ownership and the structure of the new entity before acceding to the BBC request for equity acquisition. Shahid Faridi The writer is Resident Editor, TNIE, New Delhi. Follow him on X @Shahid_Faridi

Excise Dept. seized beer worth over 9.54 crore in Hassan

Preetham Gowda will campaign for Prajwal in Hassan if required: Agarwal

LS polls in Kerala: INDIA bloc allies CPI(M), Congress trade allegations on CAA, Kannur blast

LS polls in Kerala: INDIA bloc allies CPI(M), Congress trade allegations on CAA, Kannur blast The ruling CPI(M) in Kerala and the opposition Congress, both part of the INDIA bloc, on Sunday traded allegations against each other on various issues, including CAA and the recent Kannur blast, as the Lok Sabha poll campaign intensified in the state. Polling will be held in the state on April 26. At a LDF public meeting in Mavelikkara Lok Sabha constituency, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reiterated his accusations of Congress being silent on the implementation of the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and various central government policies that are against the interests of the state. He contended the Congress never opposed the Central government policies that are financially choking the state and obstructing its welfare measures. Vijayan went on to claim that the past experience of the country has been that the Congress' stand was always similar to that of BJP and, therefore, they cannot be trusted to oppose the saffron party. He further alleged the BJP government at the Centre is actually taking forward the ''anti-people policies of the earlier UPA-II government.'' Hitting back at the CPI(M) and Vijayan, Leader of Opposition in the State Assembly V D Satheesan referred to the recent bomb blast in Kannur that claimed the life of one person and remarked that the Left party was no different from terrorist organisations that train their cadres in making explosives. Congress has been alleging the CPI(M) workers were involved in the blast in which three persons were also injured and four others have been arrested. According to police, all eight persons, including the one who died, who were involved in the incident were CPI(M) workers, an allegation denied by the Left party. CPI(M) has claimed that all those involved in the incident were sidelined from the party as they had attacked workers of the Left political organisation in the past. In response to these claims by the CPI(M), Satheesan questioned why local leaders of the party then visited the house of the man killed in the blast. He alleged that those involved in the incident were rejected as party workers by the CPI(M) keeping LS polls in mind, and said that after the election, the party's stand would change. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) acting president M M Hassan too made similar allegations. He claimed the person who died in the blast would be later treated as a martyr and his family would get jobs and financial support. Hassan termed the making of a bomb as an act of terrorism and claimed the incident was a result of the failure of Central and state intelligence agencies. He said the police need to find out who were going to be the targets of the bombs that were made there. On the other hand, CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan continued to deny allegations of the party's involvement in the incident. On being asked why local CPI(M) leaders went to the house of the person who died in the blast, he said he did not know about that. Meanwhile, police said raids were being carried out in various parts of Kannur district with the aid of bomb disposal squads following the blast that occurred on Friday at Panur. The blast had occurred during the making of a country-made bomb. HMP/CORR HMP SS

Changing gears; BJP-JDS on overdrive to build synergy, challenges persist

After initial dithering over seat-sharing that caused some discomfiture, the BJP-JDS combine seems to be going on an overdrive to synergize the efforts to leverage each others strengths. But Hassan, a key constituency for JDS, remains an Achilles heel. In the last few days, the coalition partners have made concerted efforts to put in place systems to ensure that the alliance works not just at the top, but even at the cadre level. That would be key to the transfer of votes in the battle against Congress that aims to continue its winning streak in the state. The need for better coordination between the alliance partners was discussed extensively in the BJP-JDS leaders meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Bengaluru earlier this week. After that meeting, they took the initiative to bring cadres of both parties together. JDS workers will also be part of BJPs massive exercise of holding meetings at 58,000 booths in the state on April 10 and 11. As optics matter in politics, top leaders from BJP and JDS were seen together during the candidates nomination filing process in many constituencies. In Mandya, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, and the party candidate from Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar accompanied former CM HD Kumaraswamy while he filed his nomination papers. It looked like a well-crafted strategy to send a message of unity to cadres in Mysuru and all Lok Sabha constituencies across the state. However, the same bonhomie was not visible in neighbouring Hassan. Prominent local BJP leader and State General Secretary Preetham Gowda stayed away from JDS candidate Prajwal Revannas nomination filing process. Though BJP state president BY Vijayendra accompanied the JDS leaders, local BJP leaders did not show much enthusiasm. In former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowdas home district Hassan, the fight is largely between JDS and Congress, unlike Bengaluru Rural, Mysuru, Mandya, and other segments where coalition partners are putting up a united front. The JDS is contesting from three seats Hassan, Kolar, and Mandya. While it needs BJP support in all three seats, more so in Hassan where the regional party is facing a tough contest from Congress. In Kolar, the internal rift among the local Congress leaders is likely to help the regional party while BJP is not such a big force there. So far as the Mandya seat is concerned, Sumalatha Ambareesh formally joining the BJP might add heft to JDS campaign to some extent. The former CM contesting from the seat in the Vokkaliga heartland Mandya could help to blunt Congress efforts to win over the Vokkaliga support base in the Old Mysuru region. After JDS hitched its bandwagon with BJP, Congress sees an opportunity to shift Vokkaliga votes away from the regional party. However, winning over a majority of Vokkaligas may not be an easy task for Congress given the animosity between former PM HD Deve Gowda and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. In assembly polls, a section of Vokkaligas had backed Congress headed by KPCC president D K Shivakumar. Political analysts closely tracking the developments in the state feel the transfer of votes between BJP and JDS may not be as difficult as in the case of the Congress-JDS combine in the last LS polls. In 2019, when Congress-JDS faced the elections together, their votes did not transfer to each other. The alliance had also proved counter-productive, resulting in the defeat of many high-profile candidates including Kumraswamys son Nikhil Kumaraswamy in Mandya. In that election, the alliance partners working at cross-purposes had helped the BJP win a historic high of 25 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Now, given its well-defined organizational structure and functionaries even at the booth level, it may not be difficult for the BJP to transfer its votes to JDS in most of the constituencies. The JDS may have to go that extra mile to convey its message to its workers and, more importantly to its supporters as its organizational structure at the booth level is not that well-defined. Once the nomination withdrawal process is over on April 8, the BJP is planning to notch up its game with rallies addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other top central leaders in the 14 constituencies that are going to the polls in the second phase on April 26. The JDS three seats and a high-profile Bengaluru Rural seat where JDS supremo Deve Gowdas sonin- law Dr CN Manjunath is contesting on the BJP ticket, are among the 14 seats. As local Congress leaders are trying to fight the national elections on local issues, not falling into the BJPs game plan of centering the elections around Prime Minister Modis leadership, the success of the BJP-JDS combine will depend on the effectiveness of vote transfer, which seems to be their focus now. Ramu Patil Assistant Resident Editor ramu@newindianexpress.com

Agarwal to resolve rift between Prajwal, Preetham, says BJP leader

HASSAN: BJP Karnataka in-charge for the Lok Sabha elections Radha Mohan Das Agarwal held an emergency coordination meeting of alliance partners BJP and JDS, following alleged complaints against former Hassan BJP MLA Preetham J Gowda by JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda in Hassan on Saturday. BJP sources said that Gowda complained to the BJP highcommand over phone regarding the absence of Preetham during the nomination filing of NDA candidate Prajwal Revanna, and the joint rally by BJP and JDS in Hassan recently. Defending the absence of Preetham, who is also the BJP state general secretary, Agarwal said the former is also election incharge of Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency, a role which comes with its own set of responsibilities. Prajwal should accompany the NDA candidate, while campaigning there, said Agarwal. A BJP leader said Prajwal and Preetham are slated to meet in the presence of Agarwal in Mysuru, following directions from the BJP top brass on Sunday. Agarwal decided to resolve the rift between Prajwal and Preetham, following the request by Prajwal in a coordination meeting. Agarwal also took an exception to the complaint against Preetham by a section of JDS workers in the meeting. He also expressed unhappiness with Prajwal for his alleged failure to take Preetham into confidence even over phone so for. It is also not fair to take close confidants of Preetham into confidence after neglecting Prajwal, Agarwal added, clarifying that the BJP leadership never neglected any officebearers or leaders. Prajwal said that he is optimistic about Preetham join the campaign in future. Guarantees will stop after election result is declared Taking AICC chairman Mallikarjuna Kharge to task for his alleged remarks against PM Narendra Modi in a programme to release the booklet of Congress 25 guarantees, Agarwal said that all the five Congress guarantees in the state will be stopped immediately after the result of the general election is declared. To a question, he said that the alliance with regional party JDS in Karnataka will continue. Meanwhile, he brushed aside alleged dissident activities by leaders in Shivamogga, Chitradurga and Davanagere, stating that the party will resolve such issues.

Police seize 2 vehicles engaged in illegal mining

Excelsior Correspondent REASI, Apr 6: In a drive against illegal mining, police teams inspected different locations and seized two vehicles engaged in illegal mining. In a surprise operation, team of Police Station Reasi seized one Tipper bearing registration number JK14E-8052, involved in transportation of illegal mining material. In a separate incident, team of Police Station Chassana laid surprise naka on Chassana-Sungri road and seized one Tipper bearing registration number JK02CX-6435 involved in transportation of illegal mining material. After seizure of [] The post Police seize 2 vehicles engaged in illegal mining appeared first on Daily Excelsior .

Hassan Lok Sabha seat | Will BJPs Preetham Gowda work for the JD(S) candidate?

Kerala Congress: No funds, KPCC acting president MM Hassan takes part in crowdfunding drive

Reclusive Taliban leader releases Eid message urging officials to set aside their differences

Reclusive Taliban leader releases Eid message urging officials to set aside their differences The Taliban's reclusive supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada urged his officials to set aside their differences and serve Afghanistan properly, according to a written statement released Saturday ahead of the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of Ramadan. Public dissent within the Taliban is rare, but some senior figures have expressed their disagreement with the leadership's decision making, especially the bans on female education. Akhundzada, an Islamic scholar who almost never appears in public, rarely leaves the Taliban heartland in southern Kandahar province. He and his circle have been instrumental in imposing restrictions on women and girls that have sparked an international outcry and isolated the Taliban on the global stage. His message was distributed in seven languages including Uzbek and Turkmen the Taliban are courting cash-rich Central Asian countries for investment and legitimacy and it touched on diplomatic relations, the economy, justice, charity, and the virtues of meritocracy. Akhundzada said Taliban officials should ''live a brotherly life among themselves, avoid disagreements and selfishness.'' He said the war against the Soviet invasion and communism failed due to disagreements within the Taliban and that they could not implement Shariah in Afghanistan as a result of these divisions. While he mentioned education, he said nothing about reopening schools and universities for girls and women. Nor did he refer to recent unconfirmed reports about him saying there would be a resumption of stoning Afghan women to death for adultery, a punishment previously carried out during the Taliban's first period of rule in the late 1990s. Akhundzada in Saturday's message said security did not come from being tough and killing more; rather, security is aligned with Shariah and justice.'' Hassan Abbas, a professor at the National Defence University in Washington D.C. and author of the Return of the Taliban,'' said Akhundzada's message sounded largely reasonable and was focused on governance and anti-corruption matters. I believe this message is carefully crafted to dispel the negative impression created by a recently released audio of his that gives a very dogmatic and regressive message, especially about public punishments and women rights, Abbas told The Associated Press. I think this new message is also intended as damage control. Also on Saturday, the Taliban-controlled Supreme Court said six people, including a woman, were publicly flogged on adultery charges in eastern Logar province.

Pakistan's Bismah Maroof, Ghulam Fatima suffer 'minor injuries' following car accident

Pakistan's Bismah Maroof, Ghulam Fatima suffer 'minor injuries' following car accident Pakistan women's team skipper Bismah Maroof and spinner Ghulam Fatima sustained 'minor injuries' after a car accident on Friday evening, according to a statement from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). The PCB released a statement on Saturday where the cricket governing body stated that the two players were involved in a minor car accident. However, it did not reveal any further details of the accident. The Pakistan Cricket Board has provided an update regarding two of its women players, Bismah Maroof and Ghulam Fatima, who were involved in a minor car accident on Friday evening. Despite sustaining minor injuries, both players received immediate first aid and are currently under the care of the PCB medical team, PCB's statement was quoted by ICC as saying. It added that both Bismah and Ghulam are currently part of the probables who are attending training camp for their upcoming series against West Indies. Both players are part of the probables attending a training camp for the upcoming series against the West Indies, scheduled to begin on 18 April, it added. The 'Women in Green' are hosting the Windies for a three-match ODI series, followed by five T20Is. Pakistan Women Probable Squad: Aliya Riaz, Ayesha Zafar, Bismah Maroof, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Ghulam Fatima, Gul Feroza, Muneeba Ali, Najiha Alvi (Wk), Nashra Sundhu, Natalia Parvaiz, Nida Dar, Rameen Shamim, Sadaf Shamas, Sadia Iqbal, Sidra Amin, Sidra Nawaz (Wk), Tuba Hassan, Umm-e-Hani and Waheeda Akhtar. (ANI)

Damascus Fallout: Hezbollahs Nasrallah warns Israel with fierce Iranian attack for killing Reza Zahedi

Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah released a video message on Al-Quds Day and declared war on Israel over its alleged strike on Irans consulate in Damascus this week. Nasrallah said the attack a turning point and promises a fierce Iranian response. The Damascus strike on Monday killed seven Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) members including senior Quds Force commander, Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Zahedi.

BJP Delhi team keeping watch on tough seats in Karnataka

BENGALURU: With just a few days left for the Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, a BJP Delhi team is constantly watching a few constituencies, where there is a tough fight and also bickering within the party. In the state, BJP has 25 MPs, one independent, one JDS and one Congress MP. BJP this time is contesting from 25 seats, while leaving three to their alliance partner JDS. A senior BJP leader, requesting anonymity, said that with more than half of the sitting MPs replaced, there is dissent among leaders who did not get the tickets and their followers. Some of them are not campaigning for our party candidates, putting the latter in an embarrassing position, he said. Some of these disgruntled leaders were convinced by senior BJP leaders like BS Yediyurappa, Pralhad Joshi and others, and they are now campaigning for party candidates. Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his recent visit to the state, had warned some of them. Party sources said that Shahs interaction with some of the party leaders revealed that he knew more details about the dissent in each constituency than the state leaders. We are aware that they have a dedicated team here which is working at each constituency, watching every move or statement of some leaders. They report to BJP state incharge Radhamohan Agarwal, who sends information to Delhi, the sources added. The constituencies being watched are Mysuru, Chikkaballapur, Hassan, Koppal, Belagavi, Mandya, Bengaluru North and a few others. In the last years Assembly polls, we lost close to 20 seats where we had a good chance of winning. The negative results were because of the bickering among our party leaders. The BJP team from Delhi has kept a watch to prevent a repeat of that in the Lok Sabha elections as that could damage the partys prospects, the sources added. At some places, like in Hassan, BJP leaders are not cooperating with JDS candidates. This too has not gone down well with the party leaders in Delhi. They are watching and such leaders will face the consequences once the polls are over, the sources warned.

In caste fight, can Somanna trump Gowda in Karnataka's Tumakuru?

TUMAKURU: In a fight between Veerashaiva-Lingayat leader V Somanna, the BJP-JDS alliance candidate, and SP Muddahanume Gowda, a Vokkaliga, of Congress, AHINDA communities hold the key in the Tumakuru Lok Sabha constituency, a caste conundrum. AHINDA is Kannada acronym for the minorities, backward classes and Dalits. After losing from both Chamarajanagar and Varuna constituencies in the 2023 Assembly polls, 73-year-old Somanna is now fighting a do-or-die battle for his political existence. He drew the first blood and got Madhuswamy, who had set the narrative of an outsider against Somanna, shifted as in charge of Udupi-Chikkamagaluru LS seat. He has now poached local leaders, including Madhuswamy loyalists. He is also promptly following the advice of former CM and JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy, who had given him a list of around 250 key leaders that should be taken into confidence, including from the Kunchitiga Vokkaliga community. As per this playbook, Somanna had reached out to backward classes and Dalits, and some of them, especially Kadugollas, seem impressed. It is the same community that former PM and JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda has promised the ST tag within three months of LS polls. When he filed the nomination paper on Wednesday, over 20,000 gathered for the rally. Considering that Somanna is a candidate of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, senior BJP leader BS Yediyurappa too attended. The former chief minister went to say that Muddahanume Gowda would lose his deposit. Cong candidate from Karnataka's Tumakuru counters Somanna, meets many seers Dr Manjunath to contest on BJP ticket, will Somanna be asked to run from JDS? Pricked by the statement, a section of Vokkaligas had gathered in large numbers when Gowda filed his papers on Thursday. At the rally, Congress leaders Nikethraj Mourya and Shankarananda raised the issue of Somanna spending lavishly. If our five guarantees work against Somannas money, Muddahanume Gowda would win, remarked Shankarananda. (Incumbent MP) GS Basavaraju never raised his voice in the Lok Sabha for Tumakuru and now with no face to contest, Somanna has been brought in. Are we going to let the LS seat go to Somanna, an outsider? Elect the son of the soil Muddahanume Gowda, said district in-charge minister Dr G Parameshwara, for whom it has become a prestige issue. Being in the alliance, conversion of JDS votes in favour of Somanna will have a bearing on the results. In the 2019 elections, Deve Gowda, who was the Congress-JDS alliance candidate, lost to Basavaraju. It was then said that Muddahanume Gowda, who had to give up the seat for Deve Gowda, joined hands with KN Rajanna, who is the cooperation minister in the present ministry, to ensure Deve Gowdas defeat. BJP is now making it an election issue. The saffron party is pointing out that Muddahanume Gowda, who joined their ranks, ahead of the 2023 Assembly polls, had campaigned against Congress candidates. The question now is whether all Congress leaders will patch up with Muddahanume Gowda wholeheartedly or not. It is to be seen whether Vokkaligas go by the words of the Deve Gowda clan or choose Muddhanume Gowda. There were murmurs that Rajanna could leave Muddahanume Gowda in the lurch as he is busy with the Lok Sabha elections in Hassan, which he is in charge of. Muddahanume Gowda, who was an MP from 2014 to 2019, claimed, I have delivered goods as an MP by raising the issue of copra price crash in the Lok Sabha, besides saving the erstwhile HMT watch factory land from grabbers where the ISRO will soon start its operation soon. In the last election, BJP raised the issue of Deve Gowda meting out injustice to Tumakuru by avoiding releasing Hemavathi river water from Hassan in 2019. This time, the saffron party is harping on Deputy Chief Minister and Water Resources Minister DK Shivakumar implementing the Express canal project to draw water from Tumakuru to the Bengaluru Rural LS constituency, from where his brother DK Suresh is contesting.

Israeli strikes have made south Lebanon a devastated agricultural area, PM says

Israeli strikes have made south Lebanon a devastated agricultural area, PM says Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, has said Israeli air strikes have turned southern Lebanon into a devastated agricultural area. Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have been trading fire across Israel's northern border since war erupted in Gaza, with Hezbollah firing rockets and Israel launching air strikes and artillery shells. The Israeli strikes have burned tens of thousands of olive trees and torched farmland across southern Lebanon, hurting herders and farmers already suffering from a deep economic crisis that has made it even more important for Lebanon to produce its own food. Eight hundred hectares have been completely damaged, 340,000 heads of livestock have died, and about 75% of farmers have lost their final source of income, Lebanon's National News Agency quoted Mikati as saying. This problem will extend to the coming years. Agriculture Minister Abbas Hajj Hassan sounded the alarm last month, saying the Israeli strikes were preventing farmers in villages and towns near the border reaching their fields, affecting up to 30% of Lebanon's agricultural output.

JD(S) once again banks on first family members to deliver for party in Karnataka LS polls

JD(S) once again banks on first family members to deliver for party in Karnataka LS polls A striking feature in the candidates list for the April 26 Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka is the presence of members of Janata Dal (Secular)'s first family. Former Prime Minister and JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda's son H D Kumaraswamy, son-in-law C N Manjunath and grandson Prajwal Revanna are all in the fray. While state JD(S) chief and former Chief Minister Kumararaswamy is contesting from Mandya, Prajwal Revanna is seeking reelection from Hassan. However, Manjunath, an eminent cardiologist, is contesting from Bangalore Rural on a BJP ticket, as per the arrangement between the alliance partners. With the entry of cardiologist Manjunath into the poll arena, at least nine members of Gowda's immediate family are or have been in electoral politics. Gowda is a Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka, while Kumaraswamy is an MLA from Channapatna, which comes under the Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha constituency. Kumaraswamy's wife Anitha had represented Ramanagara as MLA in the previous assembly, and Nikhil, who is the JD(S) youth wing leader, had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from Mandya and 2023 assembly polls from Ramanagara. Gowda's elder son and former Minister H D Revanna -- father of Prajwal -- is MLA from Holenarsipura, his wife Bhavani Revanna was a member of the Hassan Zilla Panchayat. Their other son, Suraj, is an MLC. The Gowda family currently has its representation in all the four major houses of public representatives- Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council. This will be for the second consecutive time in the Lok Sabha elections, when three members from Gowda's family are in the fray from constituencies of the old-Mysore region (south Karnataka), which is considered to be the party's stronghold, because of the dominance of the Vokkaliga community here, to which they belong to. Gowda (Tumkur), Prajwal Revanna (Hassan), and Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil (Mandya) had contested the Lok Sabha poll in 2019, but only Revanna emerged victorious. In fact, he was among the only two candidates from the then ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance, who won; the other being D K Suresh of Congress from Bangalore Rural. As part of the seat-sharing deal in this Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka, the BJP would contest in 25 constituencies and the JD(S) in the remaining three -- Mandya, Hassan and Kolar. JD(S) has fielded M Mallesh Babu from Kolar. In the 2023 assembly polls, three members of the Gowda family had contested - Kumaraswamy (Channapatna), H D Revanna (Holenarasipur), and Nikhil Kumaraswamy (Ramanagara). In the 2018 assembly polls, both Kumaraswamy and Revanna had won. Kumaraswamy, who had then won from two seats - Ramanagara and Channapatna - vacated Ramanagara, which his wife Anita Kumaraswamy subsequently won in the bypolls. According to some political observers, the perception in some quarters about JD(S) being too family-centric is one of its major drawbacks. James Manor, University of London professor, who has been a keen observer of Karnataka's politics, during a webinar ahead of assembly polls last year had said, family-centred politics is causing discontent and leading to desertion. ''JD(S) suffers from over-centralisation and dictatorial leadership.'' However, Kumaraswamy has time and again defended family members contesting polls stating that , ''....our family members will contest where we don't have a capable candidate, to protect the interest of our party and its workers.'' However, the JD(S)'s dynastic party image has always been used by its political opponents to target it. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress president D K Shivakumar, had a dig at Gowda for fielding his son, grandson, and son-in-law, and asked ''Were there no other candidates (in JD(S))?'' ''None of them is going to win...JD(S) is a party that has lost strength. If it is really strong, why did they make their son-in-law contest on a BJP ticket?'' he said. Some political analysts held the view that JD(S)' inability to grow beyond the Vokkaliga dominated old-Mysore region -- other than certain select pockets of north Karnataka -- is seen as among its other key drawbacks. Speculations are already rife in JD(S) circles that Nikhil is most likely to be the party candidate from Channaptna assembly segment, in case Kumaraswamy wins in Mandya. Ahead of assembly polls last year, differences in the Gowda family had come out in the open with H D Revanna's wife Bhavani wanting to contest from Hassan, but Kumaraswamy had opposed it and finally gave the ticket to local leader H P Swaroop and ensured his victory.

RINL-VSP put its `beautiful guest houses on long-term lease to tide over financial crisis

A senior RINL-VSP employee looking after the guest houses said The guest houses of our steel plant are natural beauties. We can see them in many movies like Kamal Hassans Maro Charitra. There were memories and bonds with them. Some of the key politicians and VVIPs used to stay at these guest houses.

Double take: Star candidates have namesakes in fray in Bengaluru Rural

BENGALURU: It will be a fight between five Manjunaths and three Sureshs in the Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency. While all eyes will be on the prestige battle between Congress DK Suresh and BJPs Dr CN Manjunath, others like C Manjunath, N Manjunath, Manjunath K and CN Manjunath as well as S Suresh and MN Suresh have also thrown their hat in the ring and are vying for attention from voters in the constituency. This, however, is not the story of just one constituency and is not happening for the first time. In Chikkaballapura, where former minister and BJP leader Dr K Sudhakar is contesting against Raksha Ramaiah of the Congress, there are two other Sudhakars. Both D Sudhkar and K Sudhakar are contesting as independents. In Udupi-Chikkamagluru constituency, BJPs Kota Shrinivas Poojary has Suresh Poojary and Supreeth Poojary in his company. Similarly, Congress Muddahanumegowda will be fighting for votes against similar-sounding Hanumaiah. In Bengaluru North where BJP has fielded Union Minister Shobha Kharandlaje, there is an independent candidate called Shobha and a male candidate Shobhan Babu V. Congress candidate Mansoor Ali Khan will also duel it out with independent candidate Mukthar Ali Khan in the constituency. An independent candidate by the name of Yadurappa has entered the fray from Mysuru-Kodagu Lok Sabha constituency from where the BJP has fielded scion of erstwhile Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Wadiyar. Interestingly, a person called HD Revanna is contesting from Mandya and Hassan Lok Sabha constituencies where JDS state president HD Kumaraswamy and former Union Minister HD Revannas son Prajwal are contesting, respectively. A senior politician said many of them will withdraw from the fray when they are given money. They might not damage the prospects of the winning candidates, but they will create confusion, he added.

Siddaramaiah government will fall after Lok Sabha polls, says Jagadish Shettar

BELAGAVI: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar has said the state government headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will fall soon after the Lok Sabha elections. CM Siddaramaiah recently asked his party workers to ensure the victory of the Congress in Mysuru so that he could keep the CM's seat intact. It shows that the CM believes he will be losing his seat if the Congress loses in Mysuru, said Shettar. At a press conference in Belagavi on Thursday, Shettar said most Congress legislators were unhappy with their party leadership as the CM, DCM and cabinet ministers were not giving them any importance. It is a clear indication that this government will fall soon after the Lok Sabha election, he added. To further substantiate his statement against the government, Shettar said recently a Congress MLA issued an open statement that Siddaramaiah would have to resign if the party loses the Mysuru seat. History repeats as battle moves from grandpas to grandsons in Karnataka's Hassan Shettar said there was no need for any kind of 'Operation Lotus' to bring the government down and it would fall on its own. The former CM hit out at the state government for failing to implement the guarantee schemes effectively and attributed it to the paucity of funds. He said the government was keen on stopping all the guarantee schemes as it had been unable to implement them as promised. On the upcoming BJP campaign in Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency, Shettar said party leaders in Karnataka have requested several star campaigners to hold rallies in the state including PM Narendra Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari. The BJP held a BJP-JDS leaders' coordination committee meeting in Belagavi to plan its upcoming campaign here. Shettar said in the meeting that the alliance would give a big boost to the BJP.

21 people submit 29 nomination papers for Hassan Lok Sabha seat

Somalia expels Ethiopian envoy amid naval base dispute

Somalia expels Ethiopian envoy amid naval base dispute Somalia said on Thursday it was expelling Ethiopia's ambassador, closing two Ethiopian consulates and recalling its own ambassador to Addis Ababa amid a dispute over Ethiopia's plan to lease coastline in the breakaway region of Somaliland. Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesperson Nebiyu Tedla said Ethiopia did not have any information on the matter, which was first officially announced by Somalia's prime minister's office. This follows ... the actions of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia which infringe upon Somalia's sovereignty and internal affairs, Somalia's foreign ministry said in a statement. Somalia has given Ethiopia's ambassador 72 hours to leave the country, and ordered the closure of the Ethiopian consulates in Somaliland and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, the foreign ministry said. These measures were taken in the interest of safeguarding the sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Somalia's foreign ministry said. Two Somali officials said the moves were linked to a dispute over a memorandum of understanding landlocked Ethiopia agreed on Jan. 1 to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline in Somaliland - a part of Somalia which claims independence and has had effective autonomy since 1991. Ethiopia said it wanted to set up a naval base there and offered possible recognition of Somaliland in exchange - prompting a defiant response from Somalia and fears the deal could further destabilise the Horn of Africa region. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud previously called the port deal illegal and said in February his country would defend itself if Ethiopia were to go ahead with it. Tensions between Mogadishu and authorities in Puntland also rose over the weekend when Puntland's state council said it had withdrawn from the country's federal system and would govern itself independently in a dispute over constitutional changes. The move to expel the ambassador and shut down the consulates raises concerns over the fate of 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers stationed in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission fighting militants from al Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate. Mohamud said in February he did not plan to kick them out.

Somalia expels Ethiopian envoy in dispute over coastline lease plan

Somalia expels Ethiopian envoy in dispute over coastline lease plan Somalia said on Thursday it was expelling Ethiopia's ambassador, closing two Ethiopian consulates and recalling its own ambassador to Addis Ababa amid a dispute over Ethiopia's plan to lease coastline in the breakaway region of Somaliland. Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesperson Nebiyu Tedla said Ethiopia did not have any information on the matter, which was first officially announced by Somalia's prime minister's office. This follows ... the actions of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia which infringe upon Somalia's sovereignty and internal affairs, Somalia's foreign ministry said in a statement. Somalia has given Ethiopia's ambassador 72 hours to leave the country, and ordered the closure of the Ethiopian consulates in Somaliland and the semi-autonomous region of Puntland, the foreign ministry said. Two Somali officials said the moves were linked to a dispute over a memorandum of understanding landlocked Ethiopia agreed on Jan. 1 to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline in Somaliland - a part of Somalia which claims independence and has had effective autonomy since 1991. Ethiopia said it wants to set up a naval base there and offered possible recognition of Somaliland in exchange - prompting a defiant response from Somalia and fears the deal could further destabilise the Horn of Africa region. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud previously called the port deal illegal and said in February his country would defend itself if Ethiopia were to go ahead with it. Tensions between Mogadishu and authorities in Puntland also rose over the weekend when Puntland's state council said it had withdrawn from the country's federal system and would govern itself independently in a dispute over constitutional changes. The move to expel the ambassador and shut down the consulates raises concerns over the fate of 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers stationed in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission fighting militants from al Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate. Mohamud said in February he did not plan to kick them out.

BJP workers will campaign for Prajwal Revanna in Hassan, says Vijayendra

Somalia sends home Ethiopian ambassador over port deal - officials

Somalia sends home Ethiopian ambassador over port deal - officials Somalia sent the Ethiopian ambassador in Mogadishu back home on Thursday and closed two consulates in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland and in the breakaway region Somaliland due to a dispute over a port deal, two Somali officials said. Ethiopia's foreign ministry spoksperson Nebiyu Tedla said it it did not have information on the matter. The prime minister's spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. Landlocked Ethiopia agreed a memorandum of understanding on Jan. 1 to lease 20 km (12 miles) of coastline in Somaliland - a territory that Somalia says it owns, even though the northern region has enjoyed effective autonomy since 1991. Ethiopia said it wants to set up a naval base there and offered possible recognition of Somaliland in exchange - prompting a defiant response from Somalia and fears the deal could further destabilise the Horn of Africa. Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called the deal illegal and said in February his country would defend itself if Ethiopia goes ahead with it. The move to expel the ambassador and shut down the consulates raises concerns over the fate of 3,000 Ethiopian soldiers stationed in Somalia as part of an African Union peacekeeping mission fighting militants from al Shabaab, an al Qaeda affiliate, according to diplomats and analysts. In February Mohamud said he did not plan on kicking them out.