CM Kumaraswamy meets Rahul Gandhi, assures coalition govt functioning smoothly
New Delhi, May 30: Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy met Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday and conveyed to him that the state government was functioning smoothly and there was coordination between ruling coalition partners JD(S) and the Congress.
Kumaraswamy's meeting with the Congress chief comes in the backdrop of voices of dissent gaining ground in the ruling coalition in the southern state after two Congress MLAs met former chief minister S M Krishna at his Bengaluru residence on Sunday.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal is in Bengaluru currently to placate the disgruntled state leaders.
"The CM apprised Rahul Gandhi of the current political situation in the state and said the coalition government in the state is functioning smoothly with cooperation and coordination between both the parties," an official statement said.
During the brief meeting, the Janata Dal (Secular) leader also urged Gandhi not to quit as the Congress chief, saying "the nation needs his service", the statement added.
Kumaraswamy also discussed the outcome of the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka with Gandhi.
The coalition government in the southern state has been fragile since its inception with reports of its collapse surfacing every now and then.
Following the drubbing of the Congress-JD(S) combine in the Lok Sabha election, where the two parties managed to win only one seat each in Karnataka, a senior Congress leader had claimed that the state government would collapse after June 10.
Two Congress MLAs Ramesh Jarkiholi and Sudhakar met BJP leaders at Krishna's residence, though they later claimed that their visit was not political.
The BJP, with 105 legislators, is the single-largest party in the 225-member Karnataka Assembly, while the ruling coalition has 117 MLAs 79 of the Congress, 37 of the JD(S) and one of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the House.
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No more street vending on B’luru’s main roads, as govt plans to bring new policy for street hawkers
Bengaluru: Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday said that the state government has decided to formulate a new policy for footpaths in Bengaluru, under which street vending will not be allowed on main roads and sub-main roads.
Addressing the media after a budget preparation meeting and executive meeting of GBA corporations at Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said discussions were held with MLAs from the GBA region regarding the corporations’ budgets and key civic issues.
Leader of Opposition R. Ashok also participated in the meeting and shared his views. Officials from multiple departments, including police, BESCOM, BMRCL, BWSSB and BDA, along with ministers and legislators, were present.
He stated that all five municipalities have prepared their individual budgets, while MLAs have submitted their demands, including calls for ward-wise grants.
“We have decided to bring a new policy for footpaths. Citizens are struggling to walk as footpaths are encroached upon by street vendors,” Shivakumar said.
Highlighting the need to balance livelihoods and public convenience, he added that “a separate space will be provided for street vendors, and specific roads will be designated for their business,” ensuring that pedestrians can use footpaths without obstruction. He noted that there was unanimous agreement among MLAs on this approach.
Issuing a warning to vendors, Shivakumar said that authorities will act against those violating the rules. “If vendors operate during the day and leave their carts on the roadside at night, authorities will clear them. People should be aware of this,” he said.
Providing data on street vendors, he said that around 60,000 vendors have registered so far, of which 30,000 have applied for vehicles, and a tender has already been floated.
“Only those with street vendor identity cards will be allowed to do business. Those without ID cards will not be permitted to operate on the streets,” he added.
