Kannada film actor Shivarajkumar meets D K Shivakumar amid speculation about wife joining Congress
Bengaluru, Mar 15: Amid talks that his wife Geetha Shivarajkumar may join the party, Kannada film actor Shivarajkumar met Congress Karnataka unit president D K Shivakumar on Monday.
The meeting comes following Geetha's brother Madhu Bangarappa recently announcing his decision to leave the JD(S) and join the Congress.
Madhu had last week indicated about his sister too, joining the Congress.
Geetha is the daughter of former chief minister, the late S Bangarappa and daughter-in-law of Kannada matinee idol late Rajkumar.
She had unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha election from Shivamogga on a JD(S) ticket.
Asked about Geetha joining the party, Shivakumar said, "wait and watch", and he cannot speak on her behalf.
Not willing to disclose what transpired at the meeting, DKS said, "We have the highest respect for (Rajkumars) family. That family is an asset to the state and the nation. We have a personal relationship."
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Heavy rain, hailstorms lash parts of Uttarakhand; all districts put on high alert
Dehradun (PTI): Heavy rain and hailstorms accompanied by strong winds lashed several districts of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, prompting the state administration to put all district authorities on high alert.
The sudden change in weather caused uprooted trees to block roads and disrupted power supply at various locations.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman chaired a review meeting with district officials to assess the situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms at most places across all districts for Monday and Tuesday. Snowfall is expected in regions situated at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above.
An 'orange alert' remains in place for Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar. These districts are likely to witness isolated heavy rain, hailstorms, and intense to very intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted that maximum temperatures across the state are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. During the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures remained "markedly below normal" in the plains and ranged from "markedly" to "appreciably" below normal in the hilly regions.
Dehradun experienced dark, overcast skies early Sunday, creating night-like conditions during morning hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.
For the state capital, the forecast predicts a partly to generally cloudy sky with a high of 31 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees Celsius.
Significant rainfall was recorded across the state after 8.30 am on Sunday, with Jollygrant receiving 21.6 mm and Mohakampur recording 19.8 mm. Other areas, including Mukteshwar (15.0 mm), Mussoorie (13.4 mm), and Pithoragarh (8.5 mm), also saw measurable precipitation.
Secretary Suman directed officials to clear blocked roads on priority to ensure public convenience. Specific instructions were issued regarding the Char Dham Yatra, ordering that helicopter services must operate strictly according to weather conditions to ensure pilgrims' safety.
Isolated places in the remaining hilly districts are also expected to experience thunderstorms with lightning and intense rain spells.
