BJP shortlists three candidates for Bengaluru Rural LS constituency
Bengaluru (PTI): The BJP has shortlisted three candidates for Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha constituency for the upcoming polls, Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka said on Friday.
"We have a strong candidate to contest from Bengaluru Rural. We have recommended three candidates. One among them will contest (on a BJP ticket)," the former Deputy Chief Minister told reporters.
He said the one contesting from Bengaluru Rural will be a surprise candidate.
Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar's brother D K Suresh is representing this constituency for three consecutive terms.
The BJP swept the 2019 general elections in Karnataka winning 25 of the total 28 Lok Sabha seats.
Karnataka is the most important state in the south for the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Karnataka is the only State in the south where the party had held power.
Ashoka said the list of BJP candidates for Lok Sabha elections in Karnataka would be released soon as the discussions on finalising nominees have reached final stages.
Deliberations are continuing on some "problematic constituencies," he added.
Regarding Mandya constituency, where the BJP backed independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh won in 2019 and staked a claim for party ticket this time, he said he has no information on who will be fielded from there.
According to sources, BJP's ally, the JD(S), is keen to field its candidate in Mandya.
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.
Anbumani asks PM Modi to ban sale of cigarettes for those born after 2009
Chennai (PTI): PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take legislative measures to prohibit smoking and the sale of cigarettes to individuals born on or after January 1, 2009, thereby creating a smoke-free generation.
Anbumani, former Union minister for health and family welfare, said, "Once implemented, it (ban on cigarettes) will ensure that future generations are legally prevented from ever accessing tobacco products", he said in a letter to Modi.
"I write to you with a deep sense of urgency and responsibility, drawing your kind attention to a critical public health issue that continues to endanger the lives of millions of Indians, particularly among the younger generation who are affected by cigarette smoking", he claimed.
Stating that India unfortunately bears a disproportionately high burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality, he said, adding that, according to global health estimates, nearly 267 million Indians, approximately one in five citizens, use tobacco.
"Each year, tobacco consumption directly accounts for over 1.35 million deaths, while exposure to second-hand smoke contributes to a total of approximately 2.3 million deaths annually", he said, adding, "these figures are alarming and reflect a public health crisis of immense magnitude".
He pointed out that Scientific evidence unequivocally establishes tobacco use as a leading cause of cancer and numerous non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular ailments, chronic respiratory diseases such as COPD, and multiple forms of malignancies. "In India alone, tobacco is responsible for nearly 40–50 per cent of all cancer cases, with over 4.7 lakh deaths annually attributed to tobacco-induced cancers", he added.
"In this context, I strongly urge the Union government to consider enacting a transformative law similar to that of the United Kingdom, that permanently prohibits the sale and consumption of tobacco products for individuals born on or after a specified year (such as 2009). Such a generational ban would mark a decisive step towards eliminating tobacco use in India over time", he said.
