Ballari MP Ugrappa to focus on key areas in remaining term
New Delhi, Nov 16: Newly elected Congress MP from Karnataka's Ballari, V.S Ugrappa Friday said he would focus on drinking water, health and infrastructure in the remaining five months of his tenure.
Ugrappa won the Ballari seat in the recent Lok Sabha by-polls by a margin of more than 2.43 lakh votes, defeating BJP's J Shantha, sister of B Sriramulu, a key aide of the controversial mining barons-- the Reddy brothers and former MP from there.
He will take oath as the Member of Parliament (MP)during the winter session of the House.
"There has not been any development in Ballari and there are many problems like farmers distress, poverty, unemployment among others. I will not say that I will bring big reforms in the next five months. I will at least focus on priority issues," the Congress leader told reporters here.
The priority areas could be providing safe drinking water, health, better roads besides ensuring procurement of paddy, he said.
Ugrappa, close aide of former chief minister Siddaramaiah, also indicated that he might get the ticket to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the same constituency, considering his victory in the by-poll with a huge margin.
The by-poll results will have an impact on the upcoming general elections, he said, adding the mood of the people in the southern state was in favour of the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance.
The Ballari constituency, which had remained a BJP stronghold since 2004, is reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Tribes. It is one of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
PM Modi's 'friendship' with President Trump proving to be hollow: Congress
_vb_34.jpeg)
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "much boasted friendship" with US President Donald Trump is now proving to be "hollow" and cited several overtures the latter recently made to Pakistan.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh also alleged that Indian diplomacy was failing in the light of the US partnering with Pakistan.
"The abject failure of Indian diplomacy, especially in the past two months, is revealed most tellingly by four facts. These expose the tall claims made by the Prime Minister and his drum-beaters and cheerleaders," he said in his post.
Ramesh said that since May 10, 2025, Trump has claimed 25 times that "he personally intervened to stop Operation Sindoor, threatening India and Pakistan that if they didn't bring the war to a halt, they would not have a trade agreement with the USA."
On June 10, 2025, he claimed, Gen Michael Kurilla, the head of the US Central Command, hailed Pakistan as a phenomenal partner of the US in countering terrorism.
On June 18, 2025, Trump held an unprecedented luncheon meeting with Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir in the White House, Ramesh noted.
"Two months earlier, Munir's inflammatory, incendiary, and communally provocative remarks had provided the backdrop to the brutal Pahalgam terror attacks on April 22, 2025," he said.
Just yesterday, the Congress leader claimed that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar and thanked Pakistan for its partnership in countering terrorism and preserving regional stability.
"The PM's clean chit to China on June 19, 2020, has already cost India heavily. His much boasted friendship with President Trump is now proving to be hollow," Ramesh said in his post.
