Bengaluru (PTI): Metro Rail in Bengaluru on Thursday proved itself as the ‘lifeline’ of the city when it facilitated the safe and rapid transportation of a pair of lungs and a live human heart.

The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said it supported the Sparsh Hospital medical team in the swift and safe transportation of a live human heart and a pair of lungs using the Namma Metro.

The heart was brought to Goraguntepalya Metro Station at 9.34 am and reached Banashankari Metro Station at 10.15 am, covering 17 stations in just 41 minutes, the BMRCL said in a statement.

It added that the lungs were brought to the same station at 10.05 am and reached Bommasandra Metro Station at 11.13 am, after an interchange at RV Road Station, covering 31 stations in one hour and eight minutes.

"Namma Metro facilitated a seamless and time-critical transfer, ensuring the organs reached Aster RV Hospital and Narayana Health City promptly and safely," the statement said.

The operation was efficiently coordinated by officers of the BMRCL Security Department, along with station officials and the medical team, it added.

"BMRCL remains committed to supporting such life-saving missions by providing efficient, reliable, and socially responsible transport solutions in collaboration with medical institutions," the Metro Rail said.

Narayana Health City said, "The use of the Namma Metro enabled swift, congestion-free movement across the city, helping preserve the viability of the organs for transplantation."

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Guwahati (PTI): In a bid to win the Assam Assembly elections for the third time in a row, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday advised the state BJP brass to fight on twin planks: development and a secure state.

Shah, who wound up a two-day visit to Assam, held a nearly two-hour-long meeting with senior leaders of the BJP state unit at the party headquarters here, with a focus on discussing strategy for the state elections, expected in March-April.

Briefing reporters after the closed-door meeting, BJP Assam president Dilip Saikia said, "Development and a secure Assam will be our twin electoral planks."

He also said that Shah, known for his expertise in electoral politics, has offered valuable suggestions, and based on it, an action plan to retain power in the state will be formulated soon.

“Discussions were held in detail on our organisational and political calendars. Shah ji offered some very valuable suggestions, and we will implement those at the earliest…We will share more details on the action plan soon,” Saikia said.

He further said that the Union minister exhorted the state party leadership to ensure that not only do they secure a ‘massive landslide victory’ but also bag more seats than in the previous election.

The BJP currently leads a coalition government in Assam with the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), while the Bodoland People's Front (BPF) has also extended support.

In the 126-member Assembly, the BJP now has 64 legislators, while its allies AGP, UPPL and BPF have nine, seven and three memnbers, respectively. In the opposition camp, the Congress’ strength is 26, while AIUDF has 15 members and CPI(M) one. There is an Independent legislator also, belonging to Raijor Dal.

Saikia said that the party will continue to contest the state polls in coalition with its NDA allies, which was also favoured by Shah.

Dismissing reports of chinks in the ruling coalition, the Lok Sabha MP said, “As far as the NDA is concerned, we are united in Assam. There could be discussions about some issues on individual party forums.”

The saffron party has maintained that its alliance with the regional parties will continue, and formalities like seat-sharing arrangements are being worked out.

Shah, who was on his second visit to the state within a month, attended two other events in Dibrugarh and Dheamji earlier in the day. He left for West Bengal after the meeting at the Guwahati state party headquarters.