Shivamogga, Apr 12: Veteran Congress leader Kagodu Thimmappa on Wednesday said his daughter Dr Ranjani Rajanandini had stabbed him in his chest by joining the BJP.

Rajanandini, who was aspiring for a Congress ticket from Sagara constituency in Shivamogga district for the May 10 assembly election, resigned from the party and joined the BJP in the presence of party stalwart B S Yediyurappa.

“Rajanandini joining the BJP is like stabbing me in the chest. She should not have done this. I had never dreamt that my daughter will ever behave like this. This is unfortunate, which should not have happened,” Thimmappa, a former minister told reporters, adding that he grew up in politics with commitment and stability.

Thimmappa, a former speaker of the Karnataka Assembly said he would remain in the Congress and work for the party. “Come what may, I will not quit Congress. I will always stand by Congress and will work for the party in this election as well,” the veteran leader said.

He suspected that there was some conspiracy behind his daughter’s decision.

Sources in the Congress said Thimmappa had been trying hard to get a ticket for his daughter from Sagara, which he represented five times. However, the party denied her a ticket.

Yediyurappa who inducted her into BJP said the party had gained strength in and around Shivamogga. Stating that Rajanandini would help BJP candidates win in Sorab and Sagara constituencies, the BJP leader said the party would give her an appropriate position once it came to power.

 

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Saturday said the state government has fast-tracked approvals for investment projects and taken measures to cut red tape.

He said that since 2022, Karnataka has approved 2,028 projects worth Rs 5.11 lakh crore, which could create 7.16 lakh jobs.

Of these, Rs 69,564 crore has already been realised, generating 1.06 lakh jobs, he added.

“Karnataka fast-tracks approvals, cuts red tape,” the Minister for Large & Medium Industries said.

“Clear results of our government’s push to speed up approval processes are now evident. Not only have investment agreements been secured, but effective implementation is also underway,” he said in a post on X.

He added that simplified and swift approval processes are boosting investor confidence and providing greater impetus to industrial growth across the state.

“Karnataka’s investment-friendly environment is further strengthened by its culture of ease of doing business,” he said.

Noting that Karnataka is fast-tracking approvals and aligning departments and districts for on-ground delivery, the minister said: “We have overhauled 18 key approvals, cutting land use change clearance time from 120 to 45 days, fire NOC from 60 to 21 days, factory plan approvals from 30 to 14 days, and electrical approvals to just 10 days.”

In a competitive landscape, Karnataka is acting decisively to ensure faster decisions, fewer delays, and a truly pro-industry ecosystem, he added.