Digvijaya Singh opts out of Cong prez race, to back Kharge
_vb_12.gif)
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Friday announced that he will not contest the party president's election and would instead propose the candidature of his senior Mallikarjun Kharge.
He said he has worked for the Congress all his life and will continue to do so.
"Kharge ji is my leader and my senior. I had asked him yesterday if he wanted to contest. He said no. I met him again today. I told him I am with you fully if you are contesting. I can't think of contesting against him. He is filing his nomination and I will be his proposer," said Singh.
"There are some non-negotiables in my life. I don't compromise on issues related to Dalits, tribals and OBCs; I don't compromise with those who spoil communal harmony and I don't compromise my commitment to the Gandhi family," he said.
Singh had expressed his inclination to contest the top party post and had collected 10 sets of nomination papers on Thursday after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot opted out of the race.
The 'one man, one post' formula will apply to Kharge, as in the case of Gehlot, who was asked to quit as chief minister if he contested for the top party post.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor will also file his nomination papers on Friday.
A tent has been set up in the lawns of the AICC headquarters here and party leaders can file their nomination papers between 11 am and 3 pm.
Polling will take place on October 17 and the result will be announced on October 19.
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.
Bengaluru - Mumbai premium train service will start soon: Ashwini Vaishnaw
Bengaluru (PTI): Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday said that a premium train service from Bengaluru to Mumbai will start soon.
He said Karnataka has received a record Rs 7,748 crore in this year's railway budget -- nine times the allocation during the Congress-led UPA government, and the total railway investment in the state is Rs 52,950 crore.
"Massive investment will cover track creation, station redevelopment, safety, announcements, Bengaluru suburban and many new projects in Karnataka," he told reporters here.
Addressing a press conference here, the minister said that, "very soon, we'll be starting a premium train service from Bengaluru to Mumbai. Tejasvi ji (Bengaluru South MP) had come for that, and many other requests had also come. Many sections are getting doubled, so very soon we'll have many more services."
On the Vande Bharat train from Bengaluru to Mangaluru, he said, "Now, the testing, certifications are going on for electrification. As soon as those processes are completed, we'll share with you the details very soon," he said.
On land acquisition, the minister said the Centre continues to seek the state's support as land is a state subject.
"We continuously pursue the state government for land acquisition in many projects. We believe in cooperative federalism. So we keep requesting the state for land acquisition. I don't want to specify any individual point or project. If needed, I can supply the details, but I don't want to get into the blame game. It's important that we all have the common objective of working for the people and our states," he said.
On the proposed bullet train corridors linking Bengaluru with Chennai and Hyderabad, announced in the Union Budget, Vaishnaw said the project would significantly benefit the region.
"As the finance minister said, it will connect the three large economies of South Indian states. They will become the high-speed diamonds of South India," Vaishnaw said.
A lot of work has already gone in, and a lot of progress has already happened in this regard, he added.
"But now we have to take it to the next level. And if we look at the capability that our industry has acquired, the capability that railway engineers have acquired, it will be a nice journey. Work will move forward very fast," he said.
He said work on the Bengaluru suburban rail has gained progress after a railway officer was appointed Managing Director of K-RIDE.
"Now we have the designs completed. We have the tender documents prepared.
We have got the approvals which are required for designing a complex system, like a suburban system, almost more than half is elevated, so it has to be designed in a proper way, and especially it is along the existing railway line," he said.
Vaishnaw said the design is done and that the progress is very fast now.
Calling the Yesvantpur-Kolar line important, he said the state government had withdrawn their support.
"So we will be requesting the state government to support it, because Bengaluru development is very important. We must double the capacity of Bengaluru. Then only can meet the demand. We must have more and more railway lines for the state."
