Belagavi: Senior BJP leader Ramesh Jarkiholi expressed reservations about B.Y. Vijayendra’s leadership abilities, stating that he lacks the necessary experience to serve as the state president of the BJP.

Speaking to media representatives at Sambra Airport, Jarkiholi said, “In some circumstances, Vijayendra has been appointed as president. However, his approach to the position reflects a sense of inexperience. No clear instructions or guidance have been given under his leadership.”

Referring to Vijayendra, the son of BJP veteran and former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, Jarkiholi remarked, “Whatever personal disagreements there may be, once you become the state president, you must approach the role with seriousness. Vijayendra, in my opinion, is not suitable for the position.”

He acknowledged the efforts that brought Vijayendra to the role but warned, “Vijayendra is riding on the legacy of his father. Yediyurappa’s struggles and sacrifices are unparalleled, but if Vijayendra does not perform effectively, his father’s legacy risks being diminished.”

Jarkiholi also spoke about the contributions of leaders like Basanagouda Patil Yatnal in fighting for farmers’ issues and noted the return of a key report on agricultural matters to a joint parliamentary committee led by Jagadambika Pal.

Nasheman news

Kristu Jayanti College’s Department of Social Work has taken a major step towards
fostering health awareness among students through an engaging training program
on “Health and Nutrition” for grades 8th to 10th at Clone International School,
Kothanur. Fr. Dr. Augustine George, Principal, KJC motivated the students to
serve the community in whatever way possible and to be responsible citizens.
The session began with a warm welcome from Ms. Eloa Gladis, followed by a
presentation from Ms.Yugapriya on the connection between diet and academic
performance, including a hands-on activity where students designed balanced meal
plates. Mr. Pratap Raj continued with an insightful session on macro and
micronutrients, followed by a “Nutrition Quiz” to test the student’s knowledge on
healthy eating habits. Ms. Eloa Gladis concluded the program with a session on the
benefits of healthy eating, finishing with a mindful eating activity.

The initiative, guided by Dr. Jonas Richard A, head of the department and Dr.
Winnie Joyce, Program coordinator, provided students with practical exposure to
serve the community. Mrs. Shila Chandrashaker, Principal, Clone International
School appreciated the presenter’s effort and their contribution to the community.
This successful event marks another milestone in promoting wellness among
young learners.

New Delhi: Karnataka’s Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Wednesday called on Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav and urged him to expedite environment clearances for the Kalasa-Banduri irrigation project, highlighting ongoing challenges in inter-state water infrastructure development.

In a representation made to the Union Minister, Shivakumar, who is also in charge of the Irrigation Ministry, argued that the project remains critical for the state’s water needs.

The Kalasa-Banduri Project is a water diversion project that aims to supply drinking water to the arid districts of Karnataka.

The Deputy CM informed that the National Board for Wildlife previously rejected Karnataka’s proposal, citing legal disputes among Karnataka, Goa, and Maharashtra over the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal’s award, which is pending before the Supreme Court.

Karnataka has significantly reduced its forest land requirements for the project, trimming the Kalasa project’s footprint from 258 hectares to 26.92 hectares, and the Banduri project from 243 hectares to 28.44 hectares.

The state government contends that the proposed land is part of a tiger corridor and could potentially provide water resources for wildlife in the area, he noted.

Shivakumar also met Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi to discuss the urgency of securing clearances for multiple water projects, including the Mekedatu Irrigation Project, and resolving ongoing water distribution disputes.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar (PTI)

Ramangara (PTI): Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Sunday hinted at cracks and squabbling within the BJP and the JD(S), as he gave credit to the leaders of these parties for the defeat of JD(S) candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy in the Channapatna assembly bypoll.

Congress candidate C P Yogeeshwara won in Channapatna bypoll with a margin of 25,413 votes against his nearest rival and NDA candidate Nikhil Kumaraswamy, as results were announced on Saturday.

The Congress party swept all the three assembly constituencies in Karnataka, namely Channapatna, Sandur and Shiggaon, which went for bypolls.

Nikhil Kumaraswamy is the son of Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy and grandson of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda. In September last year, JD(S) joined the NDA led by BJP.

“Many people from across the parties have helped us in this election (Channapatna). Congress had only 16,000 votes in the previous assembly election. It increased in the Lok Sabha election,” Shivakumar told reporters here.

According to him, many people from the JD(S) and the BJP supported the Congress. “If the BJP and the JD(S) leaders had not supported us directly or indirectly, we wouldn’t have got so many votes. I congratulate them,” Shivakumar, who is also the Congress state president, said.

He quipped that the JD(S), which had 19 seats in the Karnataka Assembly, has now reduced to 18.

Hailing the electorate, the Deputy CM said this was people’s verdict in favour of C P Yogeeshwara to develop Channapatna constituency.

There was no immediate reaction from the BJP or the JD(S) on it.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday assured families living Below the Poverty Line that the government will reissue BPL cards to eligible households if their cards were mistakenly cancelled.

The assurance follows controversy over reports that over 22.6 lakh BPL cardholders were deemed ineligible, prompting criticism from the opposition BJP. The party accused the ruling Congress of mishandling the issue.

Addressing reporters, Shivakumar said the government’s actions adhered to parameters set by the Centre for BPL eligibility. He added that any errors leading to the cancellation of cards for eligible families would be rectified.

“There have been discrepancies in some areas and we will address them. A review is underway to eliminate ineligible beneficiaries,” Shivakumar said.

When questioned about the lack of physical verification before cancelling cards, he noted that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had issued instructions to the relevant minister.

Shivakumar said a list of cancelled cards would be sent to MLAs for verification.

The Deputy CM also announced that the Guarantee Implementation Committee would oversee home visits to resolve errors in the cancellation process.

Bengaluru: A 40-year-old BMTC bus driver died of a heart attack while driving the vehicle in the city on Wednesday, officials said.

The incident occurred at 11 am while the bus was en route from Nelamangala to Dasanapura.

A video of the incident shows that after the driver collapsed from the heart attack, the bus brushed past another Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus. The conductor quickly jumped into the driver’s seat and took control of the vehicle.

According to BMTC officials, Kiran Kumar was operating vehicle number KA 57 F-4007 on route 256 M/1, during its final trip from Nelamangala to Dasanapura.

While on duty, Kumar suffered a heart attack and collapsed. In a courageous act, the conductor, Obalesh, immediately brought the vehicle to a safe halt, ensuring the safety of all passengers and preventing any accident.

Subsequently, Obalesh rushed Kumar to the nearby hospital, where doctors, after examination, confirmed that the driver had succumbed to a heart attack.

It is with great sadness that we announce the untimely demise of Kiran Kumar, a driver from Depot 40, who passed away due to a sudden heart attack on November 6. The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) expresses its deepest condolences to the family of Kiran Kumar.

“The corporation prays for the peace of his soul. Senior officials from BMTC visited the family, offering their sympathies and providing an ex-gratia payment to help with the final rites,” the BMTC said in a statement.

Bengaluru: Heavy rains on October 23 led to severe waterlogging and brought traffic to a halt in Bengaluru’s Electronic City area, causing hours-long delays for commuters. The Bengaluru Traffic Police were forced to close the inbound side of the Electronic City flyover due to water accumulation at Roopena Agrahara, although the outbound lane remained open.

Frustrated tech employees, stuck in traffic for over two hours, began walking home, abandoning company-provided transportation.

This traffic disruption follows a series of similar incidents across Bengaluru, with earlier rain-induced congestion reported in areas like Yelahanka, Hennur, Horamavu, and Agara. Despite the Karnataka government’s advisory for private companies to implement work-from-home policies to ease traffic during the ongoing monsoon season, the unexpected downpour and subsequent waterlogging still caught many by surprise.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

Bengaluru: CM Siddaramaiah has appealed to the High Court questioning the Governor’s permission to prosecution against him in the alleged MUDA scam, on Thursday.

The CM has approached a divisional bench of the court, questioning an earlier order passed by a single judge bench in the case.

The bench had upheld the decision of the governor’s consent to prosecution, after hearing the CM’s plea. It has rejected the application while declaring that the governor’s consent had been legally valid.

The CM has now approached the divisional bench questioning the order of the single judge bench. The court is yet to hear the appeal.

Bengaluru: A seven-year-old boy died after he allegedly fell into an open pit meant for a lift to be installed in an under-construction building at Kadugodi here, police said on Thursday.

Suhas Gowda was playing with his friends near the five feet deep pit, which got filled with rain water, when he suddenly fell into it leading to his drowning on Wednesday.

Local residents pulled him out and rushed him to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, a senior police officer said.

Based on the complaint filed by the victim’s mother, a case under section 106 ( Causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered against two people, including the building’s caretaker, he said.

Kishore Kumar Botyadi

Mangaluru: In the recently held by-election for the Dakshina Kannada Local Authorities Legislative Council seat, BJP candidate Kishore Kumar Botyadi emerged victorious. The by-election was conducted on October 21 following the resignation of Kota Srinivas Poojary.

The vote counting took place today (October 24), where Kishore Kumar Botyadi defeated Congress candidate Raju Poojary by a margin of 1,697 votes.

Out of the 5,912 votes cast, Kishore Kumar Botyadi secured 3,654 votes for the BJP, while Raju Poojary received 1,957 votes for the Congress. Anwar Sadat of the SDPI obtained 195 votes, with 9 other votes cast, and 87 votes declared invalid.