BJP issues Raghupati Bhat show-cause notice for contesting Vidhan Parishad poll as rebel candidate
Udupi: The State Disciplinary Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has issued a show-cause notice to senior BJP member and former Udupi MLA Raghupati Bhat for filing his nomination as Independent candidate for the Karnataka Legislative Council election.
Bhat filed his nomination papers from the South West Graduates constituency of the Legislative Council (Vidhan Parishad) as a rebel candidate of the BJP as his request for the party ticket from the constituency was rejected. The elections to the Legislative Council will be held on June 3.
In a letter dated Wednesday, May 22, Lingaraj Patil, President of the BJP State Disciplinary Committee, has informed Bhat that he had violated the party rules by filing his nomination papers as a rebel candidate for the election to the Legislative Council, thereby competing against the official candidate of the party.
Patil has also directed Bhat to give the Committee a clarification in the matter within two days of receiving the notice.
The Udupi district unit of the BJP had recently appealed to the Karnataka state unit of the party to take disciplinary action against Bhat for contesting the Legislative Council election as a rebel candidate from the constituency.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Adani Group emerges lowest bidder for Bengaluru’s 16.75-km tunnel road project
Bengaluru: The Adani Group has become the lowest bidder for both packages of the proposed 16.75-km tunnel road project in Bengaluru, according to sources familiar with the bids opened by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE).
According to a report published by Deccan Herald on Monday, the government estimated the entire project to cost Rs 17,698 crore, while the Adani Group has quoted Rs 22,267 crore. The ports-to-power conglomerate’s bid is about 24% higher for the first package and 28% higher for the second than the government’s estimates, a gap that could prompt authorities to seek the state Cabinet’s approval on the tenders’ fate.
M Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), who is also the Managing Director of B-SMILE, declined to comment.
ALSO READ: Uttar Pradesh: Elderly man stands up after posing in wheelchair with BJP MLA, video goes viral
In all, four infrastructure companies had participated in the tenders for the project, which has been proposed under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, with 40% funding from the government and the remaining investment to be raised by the private concessionaire.
During the technical evaluation, the Adani Group and the Hyderabad-based Vishwa Samudra Engineering Ltd qualified for the financial round.
According to the report, Dilip Buildcon was disqualified due to a clause that bars firms linked to collapsed bridges or tunnels, while Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) was rejected because its joint venture (JV) partner did not meet technical requirements.
With only two companies left in the fray, the Adani Group emerged as the lowest bidder, ahead of Vishwa Samudra.
The tunnel project officially named the North–South underground corridor, is part of the Congress government’s ambitious to ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion by building two major underground roads (totalling 40 km) along with 13 flyovers and elevated corridors.
The project is the brainchild of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister.
The proposal, however, has faced criticism and political opposition, especially from senior BJP leaders, who object to the alignment that requires acquiring six acres of Lalbagh Botanical Garden, a historic green space.
As per the report, Urban mobility experts have also warned that the tunnel corridor may clash with the alignment of Namma Metro’s Phase 3A, possibly affecting the metro expansion.
