CM Bommai says BJP's Karnataka unit focusing on RS, MLC elections
Hubballi (K'taka)(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Sunday said the BJP is focusing on the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections and held a core committee meeting in this regard.
He also said the cabinet expansion will also be taken up following instructions from the party high command.
"We are currently preparing for the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections. Yesterday itself, we had a core committee meeting in this regard. Seniors are monitoring it," Bommai told reporters on arriving in Hubballi.
Biennial elections to four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka and two graduates' and teachers' constituencies each of the state Legislative Council will be held on June 10 and 13, respectively.
Also, biennial elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council for seven seats will be held on June 3.
The Chief Minister said during his visit to Delhi he had said that after the Supreme Court verdict on holding elections to local bodies, many governments may declare polls and several decisions are likely to be taken in this regard.
The reply was in reference to local body elections in some places, including Bengaluru civic body, which may be announced soon.
Regarding the state cabinet expansion, Bommai said he will once again contact the party high command over phone and based on the instruction, a cabinet reshuffle may be taken up.
There are five ministerial posts against the 34 sanctioned posts that are lying vacant in Karnataka and many ruling BJP legislators are aspiring to become ministers, BJP sources said.
To a query on reports that former chief minister B S Yediyurappa's son and BJP state vice president B Y Vijayendra may make an entry to the legislative council and become a minister, he said everything is left to the party high command.
Regarding Cooperation Minister S T Somashekar meeting JD(S) MLA from Chamundeshwari constituency G T Deve Gowda to gain foothold in the old Mysuru region, the Chief Minister said many changes take place in politics.
To a question on opposition parties charging him as being a weak chief minister, Bommai said, "It's only you (journalists) who say this. We resolved the hijab issue, azaan issue and halal issue in a harmonious way. The azaan case was also resolved based on the Supreme Court guidelines. The hijab case was also resolved as per the court directions."
"We were able to solve disputes within the framework of law and as per the Supreme Court guidelines. We performed our duty in a perfect way," the Chief Minister said.
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.
Thumbay Group begins work on Sharjah’s first private integrated psychiatric, rehabilitation hospital
Sharjah: Thumbay Group has laid the foundation stone for the Thumbay Psychiatric and Rehabilitation Hospital at Sharjah Healthcare City, a 120-bed facility that the company says will be the region’s first private, fully integrated hospital dedicated to psychiatric care, neuro-rehabilitation and addiction recovery.
The groundbreaking ceremony was led by Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri, who is also a member of the Sharjah Executive Council, in the presence of Dr. Thumbay Moideen.
Spread across 110,000 square feet, the hospital is being developed to address growing demand for specialised mental health and rehabilitation services in the UAE and the wider Gulf region.
The facility will include inpatient and outpatient services in psychiatry, neuro-rehabilitation, addiction treatment, child and adolescent mental health, and care for mood and anxiety disorders. It will also feature VIP inpatient villas designed to provide privacy and support long-term recovery.
A mosque, named the Thumbay Masjid, will be constructed within the campus and will be open to the public.
The hospital is being designed to meet standards for Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF), an internationally recognised accreditation system for rehabilitation facilities.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Abdelaziz Saeed Al Mheiri said the project reflects Sharjah’s commitment to strengthening healthcare infrastructure in all aspects of wellbeing.
“Mental health and rehabilitation have long needed dedicated infrastructure, and we are proud to support a private partner whose vision matches the ambition of this Emirate,” he said.
Dr. Thumbay Moideen said the project was a response to a growing need for specialised mental healthcare services in the region.
“We have spent over three decades building healthcare in this region, and the one conversation that has grown louder every year is mental health. Families have been carrying this quietly for too long. This hospital is our answer. It is purpose-built, not retrofitted, and it has been designed around dignity, recovery, and outcomes that families can trust,” he said.
Construction is scheduled to begin in June 2026, and the hospital is expected to become operational by mid-2027.
Once completed, the facility will become part of Thumbay Group’s network of healthcare, education and diagnostic institutions across the UAE.
