Will not try to dislodge government, says Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Sunday said his party would not try and dislodge the ruling BJP government like the saffron party had done to his coalition government and opined that he did not think that mid-term polls would be held.
"The JD(S) will not try to dislodge the government like the saffron party did to unseat the coalition government.
Leaders of other parties may hanker after power, but not us. We fill function as an effective opposition party and hope the ruling BJP gives succor to the flood affected people,"he told reporters at Belagavi.
The JD(S) leader said he did not think there would be mid-term polls in Karnataka, as constantly being stated by leader of the opposition and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
This seemed to be more true after the Assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana, he said.
His comments drew a sharp reaction from Siddaramaiah,who said the JD(S) leader's remarks that his party would not dislodge the government gave an impression that he would support the saffron party.
Siddaramaiah recalled that JD(S) had formed the government with BJP in 2005-06.
"What else can you expect from him? His statement gives that impression (that he supports BJP)," he told reporters in Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah, who had on Saturday said his party was prepared to face the bypolls to 15 assembly constituencies in Karnataka if elections were held as per schedule on December 5, sought to know how BJP would remain in a majority if Congress won all 15 seats.
To this, Kumaraswamy said if the bypoll results led to the collapse of the BJP government, the general elections would be at least six months away.
His brand of politics, the JD(S) leader said, was not vengeance based, but to address the sufferings of people.
"How many farmers will die if Governors rule is imposed in the state? To avoid this, I only said that I am comtemplating whether the government should continue or not.
It is immaterial for me who should be the Chief Minister and whose government should continue," Kumaraswamy said.
Bypolls to 15 of 17 seats represented by disqualified Congress JD(S) MLAs, whose resignation and absence from trust vote led to the fall of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government and made way for the BJP to come to power, will be held on December 5.
The then Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar had disqualified them as MLAs, ruling that those disqualified cease to be MLAs with immediate effect till the expiry of the 15th assembly (in 2023), which they have challenged in the Supreme Court.
BJP needs six seats to win a simple majority in the assembly and continue the government.
The B S Yediyurappa led BJP ministry assumed office on July 26, three days after the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) government with the defeat of the confidence motion moved by (then chief minister) Kumaraswamy in the assembly.
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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.
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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.
