Hyderabad (PTI): The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana is extending support to the JD(S) in Karnataka Assembly elections and it chose not to field any candidate in the May 10 polls as its friendly party is in the fray.
The BRS, previously called TRS, renamed itself in December last year to make a foray into national politics and it had toyed with the idea of contesting Karnataka elections.
However, it chose not to field candidates in the Assembly polls as JD(S) is its friend and also because it lacked adequate time to plan for fielding nominees in the elections, BRS sources said on Friday.
The process of filing nominations for the May 10 election in Karnataka came to an end on Thursday.
The party was not in favour of contesting the elections without adequate preparation and planning, the sources said, pointing out the efforts being made by BRS to gain a foothold in neighbouring Maharashtra.
BRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has so far addressed two rallies in Nanded region in Maharashtra and is slated to address a public meeting at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) on April 24.
Rao may consider campaigning in support of JD(S) candidates if there is a request from the latter but no decision has been taken. BRS is also concerned about the view that its campaign may benefit the BJP in Karnataka following a split in anti-BJP votes, the sources said.
Former Karnataka chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy was in attendance in Hyderabad earlier for the events regarding the name change of TRS to BRS.
The Election Commission approved the name change of TRS as BRS in December, 2022.
The BRS appears keen on expanding and fielding candidates in Maharashtra and it has admitted a large number of activists and leaders, separately in groups, in the last couple of months as part of efforts to establish the party organisation in the western state.
BRS, however, has not been a serious contender in any state other than Telangana so far. It did not contest the 2022 Assembly elections in Gujarat and other states.
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Bijnor (PTI): Two men were arrested in this Uttar Pradesh district on Friday for allegedly being in touch with a Pakistan-linked handler based in Dubai, police said.
Circle Officer, Najibabad, Anjani Kumar Chaturvedi said Uvaid Malik and Jalal Haider were arrested following inputs on their alleged links with Aqib, a resident of Meerut currently staying in Dubai.
According to police, Aqib had earlier come into the spotlight after a video surfaced on Instagram purportedly showing him displaying an AK-47 rifle and explosives.
During interrogation, the arrested men allegedly told police that Aqib used to incite youngsters against Hindus and encourage anti-national activities, the officer said, adding that detailed questioning of the accused is underway.
On April 6, Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhishek Jha said the video first surfaced in November last year. Aqib, a native of Sathla village in the Mawana area of Meerut, was allegedly seen in the video brandishing weapons.
Following the viral clip, a case was registered at the Nangal police station by sub-inspector Vinod Kumar. However, the then station house officer and investigating officer Satyendra Singh had recorded Aqib's statement and filed a final report, stating that the weapons seen in the video were toys, effectively giving him a clean chit.
Police said fresh developments have now revealed Aqib's suspicious links and the probe has been handed over to the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS).
The SP said action has been taken against the officials concerned, with the then SHO and investigating officer suspended and Circle Officer Nitesh Pratap Singh removed from his post.
