Cong workers raise pro-BJP slogans, refuse to support Prajwal Revanna in Hassan
Bengaluru, Mar 29: Karnataka PWD minister and JDS leader H D Revanna besides local Congress leaders were left red-faced Friday when Congress workers straightaway refused to support his son Prajwal Revanna in the Lok Sabha polls at an event in Hassan.
Prajwal, grandson of JDS patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, is the candidate of the ruling alliance for Hassan, which Gowda was representing.
The embarrassing incident occurred in front of Revanna who had come to seek support from Congress workers at a public event.
An ardent believer in astrology, Revanna had arrived at the venue holding seven to eight lemons in his hand to ward off bad omen that could eclipse his son's political prospects.
Usually Revanna carries at least one lemon with him.
As soon as he took his seat on the dais holding lemons, the Congress workers created a din shouting that they would prefer voting for the BJP rather than supporting the JD(S).
The compere's repeated pleas to stay silent were in vain as the rebel Congress workers created a noisy scene.
They shouted that they will not abide by the Congress' directions.
"We are die-hard Congress workers. We will not support the JD(S), come what may. We will not only vote for BJP, we will seek vote for the BJP candidate," they shouted.
The workers also objected to Revanna's presence at the Congress' event.
"Who is he to attend our event? Why is he here? He is our opponent. How can we support him? We don't need him here," they shouted.
Policemen too reached there to calm the situation but to no avail as the sloganeering continued.
The rebellion stems from the fact that congress local strongman A Manju recently quit the party protesting the alliance with the JD(S) and joined the BJP, which has fielded him as its candidate.
Manju's bitterness against the Deve Gowda family is well known as he had been giving statements against the JD(S) leadership.
From the day the coalition government was formed, Manju had been openly opposing it.He had even indicated that he would not stay in the party for long if the coalition continued.
Gowda has represented Hassan six times in the Lok Sabha.
This time, he has opted to contest the polls from Tumkur constituency leaving Hassan for his grandson Prajwal.
Gowda's another grandson and son of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Nikhil, is also facing problems in Mandya, where the local Congress unit is unhappy over the party conceding the seat to the JDS.
With tempers running high, Revanna sought an apology from the Congress workers.
Addressing the irate workers, he said, "Pardon me if I have committed some small mistakes. Let us work together to ensure the victory. Let us stick to the decision taken by the party."
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Have sanctioned 1,000 buses for next fiscal, says K'taka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday said the government has sanctioned procurement of 1,000 government buses in the next year’s budget.
According to him, in the current fiscal, 2,000 buses were sanctioned and many of them have already arrived.
Speaking in the Legislative Council, he alleged that the previous BJP government neither bought a single bus nor recruitment was done in the state transport department.
He was replying to BJP MLC Y M Satish’s request for buses for Ballari and Vijayanagara districts.
“From 2019 to 2023, not a single bus was purchased in the four corporations. Not even one bus. If buses are not purchased continuously for four years, what will happen to the organisation?” Reddy asked.
He recalled that the last time buses were procured and recruitments took place were in 2016, when he was the transport minister during the previous Congress government from 2013 to 2018.
“After we came to power (from 2013), we procured 6,080 new buses. Then last year, 2,000 buses were provided, and many of them have already arrived. This year too, 1,000 buses have been sanctioned in the budget,” Reddy told the House.
He noted that 9,000 people were recruited and 1,300 people were appointed on compassionate grounds during the Congress tenure.
The Minister added that around 2,000 to 2,500 buses have been refurbished.
“In total, 6,080 buses came in two years. Last year’s 2,000 buses, and now 1,000 more. Altogether, we have about 26,000 buses. Out of these, nearly one-third have been added in the last two-and-a-half years,” Reddy said.
Satish told the Minister that at least 100 red buses and about 20 Volvo buses are required for Ballari and Vijayanagara districts.
In response, Reddy said in 2022-23, 720 buses were given, and in 2024–25, 307 buses; in 2026, 140 buses—totalling 1,173 new buses were given to Kalyana Karnataka region.
There are around 4,000-odd buses in Kalyana Karnataka region, he said adding that another 400 buses have been tendered and funds have to be released.
“Additionally, 56 high-end buses—sleeper AC, non-sleeper AC, and Volvo buses—are also coming. Now, 400 buses are coming. Priority will be given to Ballari and Vijayanagara districts,” Reddy said.
