Bellary MP E Tukaram's wife Annapurna to fight from Sandur: CM Siddaramaiah
Mysuru, Oct 22: Congress has decided to give Sandur ticket to Bellary MP E Tukaram's wife Annapurna while candidates for Shiggaon and Channapatna will be decided later, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Tuesday, noting that the party has made all necessary preparations for the November 13 Assembly by-polls in these segments.
To a question on demands to give the Channapatna ticket to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's brother and former Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh, the CM said, "his name is also there, let's see what will be decided."
The last date for filing nominations is October 25, and the final date for withdrawal of papers is October 30.
ALSO READ: Senior BJP member CP Yogeshwar resigns as MLC; to contest from Channapatna seat
By-polls for Sandur, Shiggaon, and Channapatna are necessitated, as the seats fell vacant following the election of their respective representatives -- E Tukaram of Congress, former CM Basavaraj Bommai of BJP, and Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy of JD(S) -- to Lok Sabha in May elections.
"We have made all the preparations (for bypolls), probably candidates may be announced today. The Sandur candidate has been decided, we will give the ticket to Tukaram's wife. Candidates for Shiggaon and Channapatna are likely to be decided today," Siddaramaiah told reporters here.
While the BJP has already announced its candidates for Sandur and Shiggaon segments, the party has ceded the high profile Channapatna seat to its alliance partner JD(S), which is yet to announce its candidate.
To a question on demands to give Channapatna ticket to Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's brother and former Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh, the CM said, "his name is also there, let's see what will be decided."
Both Shivakumar and Suresh have said that there is pressure on them to field the latter as Congress candidate from Channapatna.
"D K Brothers" -- Shivakumar and Suresh -- are hoping to regain their lost grounds in the Vokkaliga dominated region, after the Lok Sabha poll debacle in which Suresh lost to BJP-JD(S) joint candidate and Kumaraswamy's brother-in-law Dr C N Manjunath in Bangalore Rural Lok Sabha segment, under which the Channapatna Assembly seat comes.
Asked about speculations that BJP leader C P Yogeeshwara, who resigned as MLC on Monday, joining Congress and contesting from Channapatna, Siddaramaiah said, "I haven't spoken to him. Our president (state Congress president Shivakumar) is from Channapatna region, let's see what he decides. I have said the ticket should be given to a suitable candidate. He will discuss and decide."
Further responding to a question, will Congress induct Yogeeshwara into the party, he said, "whoever comes accepting the Congress' ideology, we will take them in."
After resigning, Yogeeshwara on Monday had not ruled out chances of him joining Congress. "....I have not contacted anyone (from Congress) so far and there is no such intention. But I can't say what will happen tomorrow," he said.
With the BJP ceding Channapatana seat to alliance partner JD(S), the actor-turned-politician had also said he plans to contest as an independent, and would take a final call, after consulting his supporters and workers. He even appealed to BJP-JD(S) leaders to consider giving him a ticket from the saffron party.
There were plans to field Yogeeshwara on a JD(S) ticket, but he seemed to be not interested in it, and instead wanted Kumaraswamy to support him as BJP candidate, which was not acceptable to the latter and his party, party sources said.
Regarding relief for those affected by rains in Bengaluru and other parts of the state, the CM said, "we will start the relief work, preparations have been made."
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
