Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge as he started his campaign from Kharge’s home district Kalaburagi.

He said the party is sure to win 20 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka including Kalaburagi.

“He (Modi) is afraid of the Leader of Opposition (in Rajya Sabha) Mallikarjun Kharge. Hence, he started his election campaign from there (Kalaburagi). We will win 20 seats including Kalaburagi,” Shivakumar told reporters here.

Modi started his election campaign in Karnataka from Kalaburagi on Saturday. His next campaign in the state will be in Shivamogga.

He also said the next list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections will be announced on March 20.

“There is a meeting on March 19 (about the rest of the candidates). We will announce the list on March 20,” the DCM said.

He said he is convening the Taluk level nominated presidents of guarantee schemes on March 21 to assign them to work for the party.

The Congress had won only one out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in 2019 whereas the BJP secured 25 seats. An independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh too won the election with the BJP’s support in 2019.

The Janata Dal (Secular) too got one seat in Hassan. Now, the regional party has forged an alliance with the BJP and become part of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday told ministers to draft a roadmap for the first 100 days and next five years for new government, sources said.

Chairing a Cabinet meeting here this morning, the PM also asked them to meet secretaries and other officials of their respective ministries to discuss how the agenda for the first 100 days and the next five years can be better implemented.

The meeting took place a day after the Election Commission announced schedule for the Lok Sabha polls 2024.

The Cabinet also initiated the process of notifying the dates of the seven-phase parliamentary elections by sending the Election Commission’s recommendation to President Droupadi Murmu.

The first notification will be issued on March 20 for the first phase of polls on April 19 on 102 seats. The nomination process begins for a particular phase with the issuance of the notification.

Prime Minister Modi and his Council of Ministers had on March 3 had brainstormed over the vision document for “Viksit Bharat: 2047” and a detailed action plan for the next five years.

A 100-day agenda for immediate steps to be taken after a new government is formed in June was deliberated upon during the daylong meeting of the Council.

Sources had then said that the roadmap for “Viksit Bharat” was a result of more than two years of intensive preparation and entailed a “whole-of-government” approach involving all ministries and wide-ranging consultations with state governments, academia, industry bodies, civil society, scientific organisations and mobilisation of youths for inputs.

“More than 2,700 meetings, workshops and seminars were held at various levels. Suggestions of more than 20 lakh youths were received,” an official had said.

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday said Karnataka is reeling under an acute water crisis due to a severe drought situation in most parts and accused the Modi government of refusing to help the people of the state.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh’s attack on the government came on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address a public meeting in Shivamogga.

“The prime minister is in Shivamogga, Karnataka today. We hope he addresses some of the key issues in the state in his address,” he said.

Ramesh said Karnataka is reeling under an acute water crisis due to a severe drought situation in most parts of the state, with 223 of the state’s 236 Talukas facing drought conditions.

“The state government has requested the Modi Sarkar to release funds of Rs 18,172 crore for drought relief. Why has the Modi Sarkar refused to help Karnataka’s people so far?” he said in a post on X.

To help alleviate the drought-related stress on the rural economy, the Karnataka government has sought to increase the number of working days under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) from 100 to 150, the Congress leader said.

“There is a provision in the scheme to do so during periods of drought. However, the Modi Sarkar has not only failed to approve the extension of the scheme, it has also failed to release Rs. 1600 crore towards the payment of wages to those working under MGNREGS,” Ramesh said.

When is the Modi government going to pay Karnataka’s MGNREGS workers their wages, he asked.

“Since taking office in 2023, the Karnataka government’s efforts to provide an additional 5 kgs of rice to poor families through its Anna Bhagya Scheme have been disrupted by the Modi government,” he said.

After initially agreeing to sell the Karnataka government the 2.28 lakh metric tonnes of rice required to meet the demands of the scheme at Rs 34 per kg, the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has since refused to sell rice to the Karnataka government, he alleged.

“As of November 2023, the FCI’s rice stocks were twice the amount of rice it needed to hold as a buffer – and its attempts to sell rice in the private markets have not been successful. Is the FCI’s refusal to sell rice to the State Government of Karnataka, an obvious solution to its current problems, merely a case of political vendetta?” Ramesh said.

The Congress leader further said Shivamogga is the Lok Sabha segment represented by B Y Raghavendra, son of former BJP Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa.

“The Karnataka State BJP Chief is B.Y. Vijayendra, another son of former BJP Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa. While in Shivamogga today, the prime minister should clarify what is the BJP’s stance on ‘dynasty’ in politics?” he said and asked the PM to break his “silence” on these issues.

Yediyurappa

Bengaluru : Senior BJP leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa has been booked under the POCSO Act based on a complaint by the mother of a 17-year-old survivor, police said here on Friday.

The survivor’s mother alleged that 81-year-old Yediyurappa sexually assaulted her daughter during a meeting on February 2.

According to police, the BJP stalwart has been booked under section 8 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offence (POCSO) Act and Section 354 A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

There was no reaction from Yediyurappa or anyone in his family on the complaint lodged against him at the Sadashivanagar police station.

Former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, KS Eshwarappa

Shivamogga: Former Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka and senior BJP leader KS Eshwarappa expressed faith in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Parliamentary Board member BS Yediyurappa ensuring his son Kanthesh was selected as the party candidate from Haveri constituency for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing reporters in the city on Wednesday, Eshwarappa said, “I trust Yediyurappa to live up to his word to ensure that my son Kanthesh not only gets the party ticket from Haveri but also campaigns efficiently and wins the seat. If, however, my son Kanthesh is denied the Haveri ticket, I will discuss the matter with my supporters, who have called a meeting at the Banjara Bhavan in Shivamogga on Friday.”

When asked about his son contesting the polls, Eshwarappa said that it was not only a matter of continuing his political legacy, but ensuring support to the BJP in future as well. “We are also trying to save the party by correcting the mistakes we had earlier committed,” he added.

He said that he would not wish to contest the current election from Haveri and clarified, “My supporters have been urging me to contest. If a situation arises requiring me to do so, I will contest with the Shivamogga ticket, not Haveri.”

Dietician Hajeera Zameer

Meal 1.suhoor
Served before dawn ,make sure suhoor consists of foods that release energy slowly .Do not eat for two meals, keep suhoor very light,  Do not gulp more water as it leads to frequent urination and thirst.

Options suggested.
Refrigerated oats
Barley porridge.
Multigrain roti with chicken/ kheema with veggies.
Egg white vegg omlet scramble.
Ragi ball,jowar dosa,bajra dosa.

Good beyond wheat flour this Ramazan.

High protein: to keep light and energetic.Eggs, chicken,milk,curd.
Avoid hunger pangs:Ghee,nuts,seeds, olive oil.
For weight loss: low carb Millets,dhalia,oats 
End suhoor with dates 
Worst suhoor foods:Coffee( leaves you dehydrated)Salty foods( instant noodles, sausages)Makes you thirsty.White bread and rice( spike in sugar,tired and hungry all day)Oily foods like samosa( Left over biryani,leaves u bloated and lethargic).

Meal2 : iftaar.
Iftaar is not a meal..it’s a refreshment followed by dinner meal after prayers.
Break the fast with basil seeds ( subza seeds in water).Dates and cucumber.Fruit plateWatermelon, muskmelon,papaya.(Mango ,chikoo n grapes keep it to minimum)

After a break of 10 to 15 mins ( after mughrib prayers)Let the nutrients of the fruits get utilised by the body in the right way.
DinnerOne pot dish (Dal ,rice,non veg ,veg ,greens)Thin consistency commonly called aash or kanji.
Enjoy  biryani occasionally with lots of raitha 
Complete water intake during taraweeh and tahajud.

Chamarajanagar (Karnataka), Mar 12: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday dismissed as a lie the opposition BJP’s charge that Cauvery water is being released to Tamil Nadu even though Bengaluru is reeling under an acute water crisis.

Terming it a lie, Siddaramaiah said not a single drop of water will be given to Tamil Nadu.

“All that is lie. Who will let the water flow, that too in this situation? We will not give even a drop of water to Tamil Nadu without retaining water for our consumption,” the Chief Minister told reporters here.

He said that neither Tamil Nadu asked for it nor anyone directed Karnataka to release water to the neighbouring state.

“Why will we give them (Tamil Nadu) water when they have not asked for it? Where do we have water to give them? There is no question of giving them (TN) water even if Tamil Nadu asks for it or the Centre or anyone else directs us to release water,” Siddaramaiah said.

The Leader of Opposition R Ashoka on Monday accused the Karnataka government of having released Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu.

He demanded that the state government immediately stop releasing water to the neighbouring state and respond to the plight of the people of Bengaluru.

Shobha Karandlaje

Belagavi: Union Minister and Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje has raised allegations of a conspiracy within the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency to prevent her from receiving a ticket in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing reporters in Belagavi, she stated, “Opposition within the party is actually an advantage for me. When there is opposition, our leaders spread information about us. Otherwise they only used to say that Shoba is doing good work for the party.”

Karandlaje further added that party leaders are providing information about why they are opposing her, which she believes will only help highlight her development works and true personality. She expressed confidence in the High Command’s decision-making process and remains hopeful of receiving the ticket based on her track record of work.

“I have undertaken significant development work in my constituency and will seek votes based on these achievements,” she said.

I have the satisfaction of doing both party work and government work honestly. Those who have worked will get a chance. This applies to all. In some cases it may be different due to the caste factor, Shoba said.

She further said that “I am an example that the high command recognizes our hard work.”

Responding to speculation that several sitting BJP MPs might not receive tickets for the Lok Sabha elections, Karandlaje stated that she had no specific information about this. She said that it is natural for many party workers to seek tickets, and those who have worked tirelessly for the party over the years have the right to do so.

Bengaluru: Karnataka government is planning to ban over the counter sales of acid to restrict its availability, Home Minister G Parameshwara said on Thursday, in the wake of an acid attack on three female students in Dakshina Kannada district.

He said it will be ensured that only authorised chemical dealers are given the permission to sell it, adding that the Director General of Police will be writing a letter to the Commerce and Industries department soon in this regard.

“In a couple of days, DG will be writing a letter to the government — to the Commerce and Industries department — stating that there should be no free sales (easy availability) of acid. It should not be available for anyone to go and purchase it anywhere. Only those dealing with chemicals should be given the permission,” Parameshwara told reporters here.

“Police department will be writing a letter to ban (its free sale),” he said.

The government’s move comes within days of the acid attack by a youth at a government Pre-University college in the taluka headquarters town of Kadaba on March four that sparked outrage.

Parmesh S Jain Special correspondent

In an act of exemplary courage and call of duty,a traffic police Sub Inspector jumped into 10 feet water sump and rescued a 2.5 year old boy from drowning .
The Brave life saviour officer who gave rebirth to a two and half year child is Nagaraj AR,50,attached to Byatarayanapura traffic police station the Brave PSI was on his way to duty in Bydarahalli when he heard screams from a nearby three storeyed building at around 3.45 pm. 
He immediately rushed towards the building and noticed a group of women shouting and crying out for help pointing towards the sump . 

Nagaraj asked one of the woman before jumping into the sump without wasting time.
It was 10 feet sump with waist level water he told media persons he explained about the life saving act he said the sump was pitch dark and the residents were shocked and not even making efforts to help,he explained.   
Nagaraj began to grope the tank through his leg and found the boy lying under the water. 
He dragged the boy out and have removed the water before handing over the people to take him to a near-by hospital.The boy was treated at the hospital and said to be out of danger.
There were two men among the crowd in the three storeyed residential building but they were scared to ventured into the tank fearing motor and the wires, Nagaraj,said .
The boy who was in the care of his aunt while his parents had gone out for work,slipped into the tank while playing. 
The lid of the tank reportedly slide open when the boy stepped on the lid and he slipped into the tank,while people looked on. 
Mr.Nagaraj tried to call the boy’s parents but they did not respond,while the residents cheered and thanked him for the brave act. 
He reported the matter to his senior who appreciated and lauded his work.
A native of Kolar,Nagaraj lived with wife and daughter who is pursing her engineering course while the younger son is in 8th standard.” i did my duty and happy that the boy is safe”, Nagaraj, told media persons.
Joint Commissioner of Traffic,MN Anucheth said,Wonderful work by PSI,Nagaraj of Byatarayanapura Traffic Police Station. 
Incident happened at BEL Layout near Byadarahalli at 3:45PM.Mr Nagaraj was returning to duty from his house,when he heard cries for help from a few ladies gathered nearby. 
On enquiry it was found that a 2.5 year old boy has fallen into a 10 feet sump tank.PSI Nagaraj immediately entered the tank and rescued the child. 
The child was unconscious but responded to CPR.He is now recovering in a local hospital.
With the brave and life saviour act who gave a new life to child has won the hearts of billions across nation on social media platforms.
Finally Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda,Joint CP Traffic,MN Anucheth,DCP Traffic West,Anitha B Haddanavar,ACP,Puttamma and other senior officers has highly appreciated and lauded the PSI Nagaraj for his life saviour act who gave rebirth to the child by saving his life without caring but his life he jumped into water sump when two other neighbours feared of getting shocked as it may ground in the water sump tank for the brave and gud Samritian act and life saving act has added one more feather in the Bengaluru City police account for the fearless act and a special reward will be given to PSI Nagaraj AR for his brave and gud Samritian act in saving life he added.