BRS has no plans to contest Karnataka Assembly polls: Kumaraswamy
Bengaluru (PTI): JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday said the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), led by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, has no intention to contest Assembly polls in Karnataka, but is thinking about fielding candidates in a couple of constituencies in border areas for the next Lok Sabha polls.
The former Chief Minister said the BRS may support JD(S) in "15-20 Telugu- speaking" Assembly constituencies in the State bordering Telangana, where they may have influence.
"They (BRS) will not contest the Assembly polls, by going with them, we want to join hands in their fight aimed at finding a permanent solution to issues faced by farmers, dalits and other weaker sections. Rather than building an alternative force against the party in power at the Centre (BJP) it is to find solutions to the issues faced by the nation," Kumaraswamy said.
"I like his (Rao) thinking and so both of us together in the days to come will work for the downtrodden sections...we will work together on an issue-based partnership," he told reporters here.
Seeking to expand its electoral footprint beyond Telangana, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Wednesday changed its name to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), in the presence of Kumaraswamy, with Chief Minister Rao eyeing a national role ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Kumaraswamy said Telangana Chief Minister has further agreed to support JD(S) and its candidates in the Telugu-speaking areas in Karnataka where his party has influence.
"In about 15-20 constituencies, they may influence, in my opinion, in Telugu- speaking belts in the districts of Kolar, (and) Hyderabad Karnataka region," he said.
Reiterating that BRS has no intention to contest the Assembly polls in Karnataka, Kumaraswamy, in response to a question, said but for Lok Sabha polls, they have plans to field candidates in a couple of constituencies in the border areas with Telangana.
"They have plans to field candidates in about 100-150 constituencies (LS across the country)...but all that will be based on the national picture that emerges in the days to come," he said.
Ruling out any intention to go to national politics, Kumaraswamy said his strength and fight is in Karnataka, but the 2023 Assembly poll results here may set a stage for bringing in certain changes in the national politics.
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2 men dragged for 300 metres by truck in Agra; locals save their lives
Agra, Dec 23: A truck driver dragged two people for about 300 metres in Agra under his vehicle, police on Monday said.
Some locals forced the driver to stop the truck and extricated the men from under the vehicle.
Police arrested the driver and seized the truck.
The two men, both residents of Nunhai in Agra, were going towards Rambagh from Waterworks when they met with an accident around 11 pm Sunday.
The driver, instead of stopping the truck sped up, trapping both of them underneath, police said.
"In the accident, two youths were dragged by a canter driver for about 300 metres. Later, some residents saved the youths by stopping the driver using force," Chhatta Police Station Inspector Pramod Kumar told PTI.
"The youths were sent for treatment at a nearby hospital and are still being treated, but are in stable condition. The youths were from Agra. The canter driver was arrested and the canter seized after the incident," he said.
A video of the incident that surfaced on social media showed the men shouting for help.
The video was purported to have been shot by a person passing by on a two-wheeler.
“पिछली पोस्ट में वीडियो में युवकों को मोटर साइकल सहित ट्रक वाला कई मीटर तक घसीटता हुआ ले जाता गया देखा था,
— Umashankar Singh उमाशंकर सिंह (@umashankarsingh) December 23, 2024
अब जनता द्वारा उस ट्रक ड्राइवर की ठुकाई पिटाई का समारोह देखिए।”#Agra@madanjournalist
pic.twitter.com/Qh5ncyWtEa
HORRIFYING!
— Sanjay Kishore (@saintkishore) December 23, 2024
In Agra, a truck driver dragged two men for 300 meters. Locals intervened, stopping the truck and saving the men. Both are stable but continue receiving treatment. The driver has been arrested and the truck seized.
pic.twitter.com/1ply5wemfX
