Ex-BJP MLA U B Banakar joins Congress
Bengaluru, Nov 21: Former BJP MLA U B Banakar, who was sulking in his party for some time, on Monday joined the Congress along with his supporters.
Banakar, son of former Karnataka assembly speaker B G Banakar, hails from Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's home district Haveri.
His entry into the Congress was on the cards ever since he resigned from the posts of Karnataka Warehouse Corporation chairman and the director of Veerashaiva Lingayat Development Corporation on November 9. Banakar had also resigned from the BJP's primary membership.
Banakar had been a loyalist of former chief minister B S Yediyurappa. He had first become MLA on a BJP ticket in 1994.
He had walked out of the BJP when Yediyurappa founded Karnataka Janata Paksha in 2013 ahead of the assembly election that year and won the assembly election against B C Patil (incumbent agriculture minister) from Hirekerur.
Banakar had been sulking in the party for being sidelined along with his supporters in Hirekerur.
Along with Banakar, JD(S) N T Srinivas too joined the Congress.
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KSRTC to run 1000 special services to clear Christmas rush
Bengaluru: The Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation will operate 1000 additional special services in view of the Christmas festival.
In addition to the existing schedule, the special services will run on 19.12.2025, 20.12.2025 and 24.12.2025. Further, special buses will be operated from various places of intra & Interstate places to Bengaluru on 26.12.2025 & 28.12.2025.
Special buses will be exclusively operated from Bengaluru Kempegowda Bus Station to Dharmastala, Kukkesubramanya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Mangaluru, Kundapura, Shringeri, Horanadu, Davangere, Hubbali, Dharwad, Belagavi, Vijayapura, Gokarna, Sirsi, Karwar, Raichur, Kalaburagi, Ballari, Koppala, Yadgir, Bidar, Tirupathi, Vijayawada, Hyderabad and other places.
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Special buses from Mysuru Road Bus Station will be exclusively operated towards Mysuru, Hunsur, Piriyapatna, Virajpet, Kushalanagar, Madikeri.
The corporation has also announced a discount of 5 per cent on the fare if four or more passengers book tickets under a single reservation. A discount of 10 per cent will be extended on return journey tickets if onward and return tickets are booked simultaneously.
In addition to the above, special buses will be operated from all Taluk/District Bus Stands in the jurisdiction of KSRTC based on the traffic needs.
