Cong, JD(S) begin talks on alliance for LS polls
Bengaluru, Feb 25: Karnataka's ruling coalition partners, the Congress and the JD(S), Monday began the first round of discussions on seat-sharing for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The two allies, who had formed the government after striking a post-poll alliance after the May assembly elections threw up a hung verdict, have decided to fight the parliamentary polls together under a coalition arrangement.
Congress state president Dinesh Gundu Rao and deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and public works minister H D Revanna and Janata Dal (Secular) state president Adagur H Vishwanath met and discussed the alliance issue.
The two parties did not reveal the outcome of the meeting. However, Rao termed it fruitful while the Congress insisted that "winnability" would be the criteria while finalising the seat sharing formula.
Later speaking to reporters, Rao said, "We had a very good discussion. It was in accordance with former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's wish, who had asked us to start the first phase of discussion."
Discussions took place for all the 28 seats, Rao said, adding that the candidates will be selected on merit basis.
"We have to decide based on the highest possibility of a candidate to win the election. We decided that the candidates will be decided based on the merits. So, it's a very good decision," Rao said.
He said in the next few days a coordination committee meeting will take place involving former chief minister Siddaramaiah, Parameshwara, AICC general secretary and Karnataka incharge, K C Venugopal and chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and JD(S) secretary general Danish Ali.
He said the sole target of the two parties was to keep the "communal forces" away and prepare an action plan to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Rao also said the two parties will submit the outcome of the discussion before the coordination committee which will take the decision.
Earlier, Siddaramaiah tweeted, "Winnability of the candidates will be the only yardstick to decide seat-sharing agreement & we are hopeful that the outcomes of the meetings shall satisfy both the parties."
"There is hope that there will be agreement on seat sharing... no ratio, who will win from where is important," Siddaramaiah, who is also the head of Congress-JD(S) coordination committee told reporters in Hubballi.
Seat sharing is likely to be a major test for both parties as the JD(S), banking on two-third, one-third formula adopted in ministry formation and allocation of boards and corporations, has demanded 10 to 12 seats out of the total 28.
The Congress is opposed to this, maintaining that sharing of seats will be based on "merit".
Also, there is pressure from within the Congress not to cede too many seats to JD(S), especially the ten seats where the party has sitting MPs.
Sharing of seats from old Mysuru region is expected to be an acid test for both the parties, as the JD(S) considers it as its bastion, and the Congress has its sitting members from most of the seats there.
The Vokkaliga bastion of Mandya will be another bone of contention between the coalition partners as JD(S) plans to field Kumaraswamy's son Nikhil from the seat that it currently holds, while there is growing pressure within the Congress to field Sumalatha Ambareesh, wife of late actor-turned-politician M H Ambareesh from there.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
