Bharat Bandh: Second day evokes good response across state
Buses stoned, more than 60 buses damaged
# Bus services hampered, normal life paralyzed
Bengaluru, Jan 9: The Bharat Bandh called by labour organisations against the anti-labour policies of the central government on Wednesday evoked good response across the state and majority of labour organisations took to the streets ànd protested against the central government policies.
On the first day, the bandh was restricted just to symbolic protest. But on the second day, the labourers took to the streets due to which almost all factories and industries in the state remained closed.
ASHA workers, Anganwadi workers, mid-day meals workers, gram Panchayat workers and others working under Various sectors participated in the protest.
As the KSRTC, BMTC and other transportation companies were on the roads. As some miscreants pelted stones at buses, the service of BMTC buses was suspended till afternoon.
Except holiday announced for schools and colleges in Raichur and Ballari districts, the schools and colleges were remained open. The labourers staged protests in Tumkur, Mandya, Kolar, Chikkaballapur, Ramanagar, Hosakote, Nelamangala, Hassan, Davangere, Hubballi, Shivamogga, Karwar, Mysuru, Kalaburgi, Belagavi, Gadag and Mangaluru and made the bandh a success.
Buses stoned
While staging protests, miscreants pelted stones at buses due to which more than 60 buses were damaged. Four buses each in Ballari and Nelamangala, five in Ramanagar and 12 KSRTC buses in Bengaluru were damaged. Around 47 BMTC buses were stoned. A BMTC bus driver was injured, it is said.
50 lakh labourers participated
"In the two days, around 20 crore labourers including 50 lakh in state participated in the bandh and created a history."
- S Varalakshmi, CITU State President
"The central government has planned to pledge more than 120 crore people and resources to the foreign contractors. Condemning this, many protests were conducted earlier. Even then, this bandh got importance and crores of labourers supported it".
- HV Anantha Subbarao, AITUC President
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Cong rejigs Kerala unit with eye of 2026 polls, appoints Sunny Joseph as its chief
New Delhi, May 8 (PTI): The Congress initiated organisational changes in its Kerala unit by appointing Sunny Joseph as the chief in place of K Sudhakaran and naming three new working presidents on Thursday.
Joseph, a legislator in the Kerala Assembly, will lead the state unit of the grand old party in next year's assembly polls. He will supported by newly appointed working presidents P C Vishnunadh and A P Anil Kumar and Shafi Parambil.
While Vishnunadh and Kumar are MLAs, Parambil is an MP.
Besides the four, Congress national president Mallikarjun Kharge also appointed Adoor Prakash, a party MP, as the convener of the United Democratic Front alliance in the state.
The appointments have been made with an eye on the 2026 state polls with the tenure of the current assembly ending on May 23, next year.
"The Congress president has appointed the president and working presidents of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), and also approved the proposal of the appointment of the convenor of the UDF, with immediate effect.
"The new president of KPCC will be Sunny Joseph, MLA, and the convenor of the UDF will be Adoor Prakash, MP. The new working presidents of the KPCC are P C Vishnunadh, MLA, A P Anil Kumar, MLA and Shafi Parambil, MP," a statement from AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said.
In the statement, the party appreciated the contributions of the outgoing Kerala unit chief K. Sudhakaran, MP and that of the UDF convenor M M Hassan.
"The party also conveys its appreciation for the contributions of the outgoing working presidents of the KPCC, Kodikkunnil Suresh, MP, T N Prathapan, and T. Siddique, MLA," he also said in the statement.
P C Vishnunadh, MLA, is being relieved of his current responsibilities as AICC Secretary, the party also said in its statement.
In another statement, Venugopal said the Congress president has appointed K Sudhakaran, and Akhilesh Prasad Singh, both MPs, as permanent invitees to the Congress Working Committee with immediate effect.
Akhilesh Prasad Singh was recently replaced as Bihar Congress chief.
Hearty congratulations to new #KPCC President #SunnyJoseph, #UDF Convenor #AdoorPrakash & working presidents #APAnilKimar, #PCVishnunath & #ShafiParambil.
— V D Satheesan (@vdsatheesan) May 8, 2025
Thanks to outgoing KPCC president #KSudhakaran who has been appointed as the permanent appointee to #AICC working committe. pic.twitter.com/lqvaBe1XR9
