Congress govt in Karnataka spent public money in 5 states' recent polls, alleges Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, Jan 5: JD(S) patriarch H D Deve Gowda on Friday accused the Congress government in Karnataka of spending the state's "public money" to aid the party in the recent assembly elections in five states, as he targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.
The former prime minister lashed out at Siddaramaiah alleging that he could not prevent the flow of money from Karnataka, especially Bengaluru, to the Congress party in the five states to fight elections.
JD(S) joined the BJP-led NDA in September last year after former chief minister and Deve Gowda's son H D Kumaraswamy met with Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national President J P Nadda in New Delhi.
Both parties have said they would fight the upcoming Lok Sabha elections together in Karnataka.
In the elections to the 224-member Karnataka assembly in May last year, the JD(S) put up a poor show, winning only 19 seats. The Congress bagged 135 and the BJP 66.
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Referring to Shivakumar, who is also President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, Deve Gowda said, "It is now out in the open where all he went and how much money he transported."
Taking a dig at Siddaramaiah over his statement of providing a clean government, he sought to know why he was not able stop "the illegalities" happening in Bengaluru.
"If you please do not take it otherwise, during the five state elections, how much money was taken from here? Whose wealth is this? It's public money of Karnataka," the JD(S) patriarch said at a press conference.
He said, "Our deputy chief minister (Shivakumar) and his insolence...where all he went, how much money he transported, how much money the ECI (Election Commission of India) seized, is now out in the open. From where did this money go? From here in Bengaluru.
"All the Bengaluru agencies (like Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike and Bangalore Development Authority) and irrigation portfolio are in his (DCM's) hand. It fills me with shame to see what is going on here," Gowda said.
He sought to know why Siddaramaiah was not able to stop it (corruption).
"I don't know whether Siddaramaiah has the strength to stop it. He gives lecture to the country that no one can point a finger at his administration and says that he stands by the poor, minorities and AHINDA (a Kannada acronym that stands for 'Alpasankhyataru' (minorities), 'Hindulidavaru' (Backward Classes) and 'Dalitaru' (Dalits) firmly. Yet, it (money) is flowing! Why is he not able to stop (the illegalities)?", Gowda asked.
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New trains to ease crowding on Namma Metro Purple-Green lines in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: Commuters on the crowded Namma Metro Purple and Green lines may soon get relief, as the Railway Board has issued provisional sanction for induction of new train sets, Deccan Herald reported.
The Railway Board communicated the provisional sanction to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) in a letter on April 1, raising hopes that additional trains could be deployed during peak hours by May-June.
According to the Railway Board, the approval comes with conditions, including a maximum speed of 80 kmph in fully inflated mode and 25 kmph in deflated mode of the secondary air spring.
The BMRCL will also need a separate sanction from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety (CMRS) by submitting the Independent Safety Assessment (ISA) report confirming the trains’ integration, operation, and compatibility with the Direct To Go (DTG) signalling and train control system for the Purple and Green lines.
The BMRCL has received three DTG trains, including a prototype delivered in January 2025, for the Purple and Green lines. The trains must pass 37 statutory clearances before entering passenger service.
The BMRCL had approached the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO), under the Ministry of Railways, to conduct statutory trials related to oscillation, braking, speed and system integration tests for the trains. The CMRS will issue the final sanction after receiving the ISA certificate.
Officials said the ISA certification process is already underway, with new signalling software currently being tested. Final approvals are expected by May-June, after which the trains can be introduced into service.
The new trains have been supplied by China's CRRC Nanjing Puzhen Co Ltd, which will deliver a total of 21 trains for the Purple and Green lines in partnership with the West Bengal-based Titagarh Rail Systems Ltd (TRSL). Currently, the network operates with 57 trains supplied by BEML.
