Mysuru: K Mahadeva, JD(S) legislator from Periyapatna, has alleged that the BJP tried to lure him with an offer of Rs 40 crore and a minister’s post, immediately after his victory in the Assembly elections.

“I did not accept the BJP offer,” he clarified, addressing a JD(S) meeting in Kampalapura of Periyapatna taluk in Mysuru district.

“K Venkatesh, who betrayed JD(S) Supremo H D Deve Gowda by leaving the party with Ramakrishna Hegde, baited by an offer of wealth, is now trying to lecture us all on corruption,” Mahadeva said with fury.

P M Prasanna, Mahadeva’s son and president of Mysuru District Co-operative Milk Producers' Societies' Union Ltd (MYMUL), said that former MLA Venkatesh makes hollow claims of having provided water to the taluk. “A project to ensure water supply to 150 lakes was launched but not a rupee granted for the work, during Venkatesh’s tenure. In contrast, Mahadeva has ensured the implementation of projects worth crores of rupees here that benefited the locals,” he added.

“Gather votes by speaking on the works you have undertaken rather than raking up issues like dynastic politics. Do not indulge in attempts to shame us or spread misinformation that JD(S) members are joining the Congress,” Prasanna advised the party rivals.



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Guwahati(PTI): Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Monday said he would soon visit tea gardens, owned by public sector enterprise Andrew Yule, to revive its estates as workers are facing immense hardship.

Kumaraswamy, the minister of steel and heavy industries, thanked Assam Industries Minister Bimal Borah for apprising him of various challenges being faced by the tea gardens and the need to support the management to alleviate suffering of workers.

"We are concerned about the economic challenges and hardship of the tea gardens owned by Andrew Yule Group in Assam and its impact on the wage earners," Kumaraswamy said at a press conference here.

The tea garden wage earners will also get a 20 per cent Durga Puja bonus, like workers of other gardens, he said.

Referring to his recent visit to the Cement Corporation of India Ltd factory at Bokajan in Karbi Anglong district, Kumaraswamy said there was a plan for the revival of the cement industry in the state by investing Rs 700 crore.

He also emphasised on the need for a cement manufacturing unit in the northeastern states.

On the current development of Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME) policy utilisation in Assam, the union minister said more than Rs 2,000 crore would be invested for battery charging stations and nearly 70,000 such facilities will be set up across the country.

More than 18,000 e-buses will also be purchased to fulfil the goal of carbon emission reduction, Kumaraswamy added.