Patil welcomes initiative to discuss proposed Bengaluru-Pune-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Thursday welcomed the initiative taken by Union Ministers Pralhad Joshi and H D Kumaraswamy to discuss the proposed Bengaluru-Pune-Mumbai high-speed rail corridor, saying the issue should be taken to its logical conclusion without political considerations.
Speaking to reporters here, the Minister for Large and Medium Industries said he had raised the need for a high-speed rail corridor connecting Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai immediately after the presentation of the union budget, citing its importance for regional connectivity and economic growth.
"Immediately after the budget, I said there was a need for a high-speed rail corridor between Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai. I thank Union Ministers Joshi and Kumaraswamy for taking up the matter with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. There is no politics in this. It should not remain a discussion alone, and I appeal that it be taken to its logical conclusion," Patil said.
He said improved connectivity between Bengaluru, the country’s technology capital, and Mumbai, the financial capital, would benefit large parts of central and northern Karnataka as well as western Maharashtra.
Referring to the union budget announcements, Patil said the Centre had proposed seven high-speed rail corridors, including Bengaluru-Hyderabad and Bengaluru-Chennai.
"While this is welcome, these two corridors will not bring significant benefits to our state. If a Bengaluru-Pune-Mumbai corridor is implemented, regions such as Tumakuru, Davanagere, Hubballi, Belagavi, Sangli and Kolhapur will benefit, boosting economic and industrial growth," he added.
Patil said he had made this point on budget day itself and welcomed the fact that the two union ministers had now acted in that direction.
He added that it was encouraging that Joshi and Kumaraswamy had focused on the issue and reiterated that such matters "should not be politicised."
"Letters have been written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Minister V Somanna regarding this project," he said.
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No need for guv: DMK leader Kanimozhi
Chennai (PTI): Senior DMK leader Kanimozhi Karunanidhi on Friday reiterated her party’s opposition to the office of the governor amid uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu after a fractured election mandate.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Kanimozhi emphasised that the DMK’s demand for the abolition of the governor’s post remained unchanged, especially as questions arise over constitutional propriety during the current political transition.
"Our position that we do not need a governor at all is something the DMK has never changed at any point in time," she said.
When asked about the governor’s actions following the election results—particularly the delay in inviting the leading party to form the government—Kanimozhi pointed to what she described as the "inherent friction" between the office of the governor and the political interests of the state.
She said the current situation "raises a lot of questions" and requires introspection regarding constitutional procedures.
Kanimozhi described the election results as lacking a "clear mandate", which she identified as the primary reason for the prevailing political uncertainty in the state.
"What the people decide is supreme," she said, adding that while the mandate was not decisive, it must be respected.
The Thoothukudi MP attributed the ongoing delays and "many confusions" to the absence of a decisive majority for any single party.
She firmly dismissed rumours about the DMK potentially supporting the AIADMK from outside to help stabilise the government.
She described such reports as mere "speculation" and "rumours".
"We can’t be responding to every rumour," she said, declining to comment on the AIADMK’s claims regarding its numbers to form the government.
The political situation in Tamil Nadu remains fluid as stakeholders await the governor’s next constitutional step in an Assembly where no party has secured a clear majority.
The DMK and AIADMK—both of which suffered significant losses to the TVK—are reportedly exploring tactical manoeuvres to navigate the hung Assembly.
The TVK, with 108 seats and the support of Congress’s five MLAs, is still short of the majority mark. The DMK and AIADMK secured 59 and 47 seats, respectively.
