Bengaluru, Mar 13: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday exuded confidence that the BJP will come to power in the state with a clear majority after the 2023 Assembly elections.

He hoped to ride on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity to retain power. "We have the strength of the organisation. If we can work unitedly then we can set the narrative and agenda," Bommai said at a party function.

The event was organised to felicitate the state BJP leaders who worked as election in-charge in the five states which went to polls recently where BJP scored a massive victory, Bommai stressed the need for an outreach programme to spread the word about his government's welfare schemes.

Calling upon the party workers to strive unitedly, the CM said, "I am ready to dedicate myself 24X7 for this cause. The government and the party are like our two eyes. We have to reach out to every nook and corner of the state strengthening BJP wherever it is weak and consolidate our position where we are already strong." He asserted that the lotus will bloom in the state in 2023.

Union Ministers Prahlad Joshi, Shobha Karandlaje, BJP National General Secretary C T Ravi and State BJP General Secretary Mahesh Tenginakai were felicitated for their success as poll in-charges of the party in the 5 states.

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Mumbai (PTI): Commercial operations on the first phases of Mumbai Metro corridors 9 and 2B began on Wednesday morning, a day after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the mass-transit routes, officials said.

While the Metro 9 marks the first direct connectivity between a suburb in Mumbai and a part of Thane city in the metropolitan region, the Line 2B will provide the first metro connectivity on the Harbour Line in Mumbai.

The 5.6-km elevated Phase 1 stretch of Metro Line 9 comprises four stations -- Dahisar East, Pandurangwadi, Miragaon and Kashigaon. The 5.53-km Phase 1 of Metro Line 2B has five stations, including Deshbhakt N G Acharya Udyan (Diamond Garden), Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk, Deonar, Mankhurd and Maharashtra Nagar–Mandale.

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According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Line 9 is expected to cut travel time between Mira-Bhayandar in Thane district and Mumbai to around 30 minutes from the current one to two hours. Built at Rs 6,607 crore, it will eventually provide seamless connectivity to south Mumbai through interlinking with other lines.

With the addition of the two new lines, Mumbai’s operational Metro network has expanded to six corridors, including Line 1 (Ghatkopar-Andheri-Versova), Line 2A (Andheri West-Dahisar East), Line 7 (Dahisar East-Andheri East) and the underground Line 3 (Colaba-Bandra Kurla Complex-SEEPZ).

As per MMRDA, the revised timetable for Line 2A and Line 7 came into effect on Wednesday, aimed at improving frequency, predictability and overall commuter experience.

It said that with the inauguration of Line 9, Metro Line 2A will now operate as a standalone corridor between Andheri West and Dahisar East, with services from 5.50 am till around 11 pm and a peak frequency of about six minutes.

The integrated Line 7-9 corridor (Gundavali to Kashigaon), spanning 19.79 km, will operate from 5.50 am to 11 pm, with a peak frequency of under six minutes and 276 services on weekdays.

Metro Line 2B (Phase 1) services commenced at 6 am and will run till around 10.30 pm at intervals of approximately nine-and-a-half minutes, operating 209 services daily, according to officials.

MMRDA said the integration of Line 7 with Line 9 enables direct connectivity from Andheri East to Mira-Bhayandar, while Lines 2A and 7 will function as separate corridors.

A seamless interchange facility at Dahisar station will allow passengers to switch between Lines 2A and 7 without exiting the “paid” (ticketed) area.