A 'systematic' campaign on against my son's candidacy: CM Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru, Mar 12: Hitting out at critics opposing his actor son Nikhil Kumaraswamy contesting from Mandya in the Lok Sabha polls, Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Tuesday said a "systematic" campaign was being run against his candidacy.
Facing flak for promoting his son, Kumaraswamy said those posting on social media are not voters. The real voters are in villages and it is they who will decide, he added.
Claiming that there was a "systematic" campaign against Nikhil's candidature, he said several top political leaders, including Yeddyurappa and himself, were born somewhere, while their political activities are elsewhere.
"Pro and contra views will be everywhere. Several leaders who were born somewhere, have won from elsewhere and have become members (of Parliament and assembly)," Kumaraswamy said to a query about the opposition to Nikhil's candidacy.
Speaking to reporters here, Kumaraswamy said Union Minister Sadananda Gowda, who was born in Mangaluru, has become an MP from Bangalore North, Yeddyurappa, born in Mandya, was doing politics from Shivamogga, and he, born in Hassan, was doing politics in Ramanagara.
"Anyone can contest from anywhere. I can understand what all is happening systematically as though there was opposition in Mandya (to Nikhil's candidacy)," he said.
His family will never misuse the love and affection of the people of Mandya with whom they have a bonding for several years now, Kumaraswamy said, adding, "people there will decide, not any political leader or anybody."
He said, "We will go before the people, and people will decide....those commenting on social media or Facebook are not voters, voters are in villages. Village voters will decide."
The opposition is simmering against Nikhil's candidature in Mandya, as many who claim to be JD(S) supporters have hit out at the party leadership for sidelining loyal party workers to favour someone from their family, despite not being involved in party activities in the district.
A social media campaign titled "Go back Nikhil" had gained momentum in Mandya a couple of days ago to oppose the "dynasty politics" of the Deve Gowda family.
Many within the JD(S)' alliance partner Congress in Mandya are also opposing Nikhil as they are against the grand old party's decision of denying the ticket to Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late actor-turned-politician Ambareesh, and ceding the seat to the regional partner.
However, Sumalatha has made it clear that she would contest the polls from Mandya, which was earlier represented by Ambareesh.
On seat sharing with the Congress, Kumaraswamy said it was likely to be finalised in three or four days. "Our party leaders will decide on seat sharing," he said.
"Everything will be finalised in three or four days... things have become clear as nominations have to be filed in a week's time," he said in response to a question.
According to party sources, the Congress may concede a maximum of eight out of the total 28 seats to the JD(S) but the constituencies are yet to be finalised.
JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda had demanded at least 10 seats during a recent meeting with Rahul Gandhi.
While it is clear that Hassan and Mandya, where the JD(S) has sitting MPs, will go to the party along with the Shimoga seat, where Gowda has already declared former MLA Madhu Bangarappa as the candidate, both parties need to finalise on the rest of the seats.
Sharing of seats from old Mysuru region is expected to be an acid test for both the parties, as the JD(S) considers it to be its bastion and the Congress has its sitting members from most of the seats there.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
