‘BJP has given tickets to rowdies, mafia and money lenders’
Sogadu Shivanna blasts his own party
Tumkur, August 27: Former minister Sogadu Shivanna made a scathing attack on his own party saying that the BJP has given tickets to those who have gone to jails, mafia and private money lenders for the city corporation elections.
Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Shivanna said that BJP workers have been alleging that the party district president and former MP have sold the tickets for the city corporation elections. With just three days left to election to be held on August 31, party workers were disappointed about this attitude. Father and son have neglected the party workers which attracted widespread resentment, he said.
BJP is sinking
The party workers have been experiencing the humiliation and pain in this election because of party district president and former MP. As a result, the BJP’s base in the district was sinking.
In the last assembly elections, the party has reached a situation where it has lost deposits in Pavagada, Madhugiri, Koratagere, Shira, Gubbi and other constituencies in the assembly elections. Turuvekere, Tiptur and Chikkanayakanahalli where BJP won were like separate districts.
Tumkur has become an island. There was no coordination. The party state president should look into it and entrust a suitable person to lead the party in the district, he said.
Vote for good people
He appealed the people to vote for the good and honest people irrespective of any political parties and keep the mafia dons, private money lenders and those who have been to jails at bay.
Minister S.R Mahesh should have had the common sense on how to behave with Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who visited flood hit Kodagu district recently. He should learn it first, he justified the union minister.
BJP leaders MB Nandish, KP Mahesh, Jayasimha Rao, Shantaraju, Banashankari Babu, MS Chandrashekar, Umesh, G Ganesh, K Harish, Madan Singh and others were present.
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Banana farmers in Karnataka struggle with crop damage due to extreme cold
Bengaluru: Banana farmers in Karnataka are grappling with crop damage as extreme cold weather this winter threatens their harvests.
Horticulture officials stated that over 25 percent of the banana crop, particularly those at the early growing stages, would be affected as temperature dipped below 12°C, as reported by Deccan Herald on Monday.
Farmers are concerned that the ongoing cold snap could lead to long-term consequences, including a reduction in exports. Wholesale merchants have noted that the severe cold has caused banana fruits to discolour, resulting in lower market quality and a slump in export demand.
Karnataka, the third-largest banana producer in India after Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, yielded 29.73 lakh metric tonnes in 2023-24, DH mentioned. The state's banana-growing areas include Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga, Mysuru, and Hassan, as well as Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Bidar, and other parts of North Karnataka, where irrigation facilities support production.
“I have grown Cavendish bananas on three acres by investing Rs 4.5 lakh. I have lost a part of the crops due to heavy rainfall in August last year. Now, I am finding it difficult to get returns on my investment due to foggy and cold conditions,” Gulappa Mahadevaswamy from Dodda Katuru village in Mysuru taluk, was quoted as saying by DH.
Banana exporter Alisab Choudhari explained that cold temperatures are causing significant market rejection of the fruit, as the bananas are turning reddish and losing its quality. A farmer Shankar Myakeri from Afzalpur taluk said that around 40 percent of the crop on his 10-acre farmland would likely be damaged due to extreme cold.
Santosh Inamdar, Deputy Director of the Kalaburagi Horticulture Department, stated that approximately 4,000 hectares of banana crops in the district were more susceptible to severe cold, especially where the soil lacks zinc and boron. He advised farmers to use these micronutrients to help mitigate the damage and encourage better growth.
In light of the growing concerns, farmers have called on the government to purchase bananas at a support price to ease the financial burden. They have also demanded that a separate board be established to protect the interests of banana growers.
Meanwhile, K.B. Dundi, Additional Director of the Horticulture Department (Fruits), reassured that while damage to banana crops during winter is common, the situation is usually temporary. “It is a matter of two weeks for them to recover once summer starts,” he added.
