Expect BJP to announce first list of candidates for LS polls in 3-4 days: BS Yediyurappa
Chikkamagaluru, Feb 25: Veteran BJP leader and its Parliamentary Board member B S Yediyurappa on Sunday said that he expects the party to release the first list of candidates for Lok Sabha polls in thee or four days.
The former Karnataka Chief Minister said the atmosphere was in favour of the BJP across the country and in the state, because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's popularity.
"...we will get to know in three or four days, who is the candidate and if there are any changes...I expect it (first list to be released in three or four days)," Yediyurappa said in response to a question.
Because of Modi, across the the country and even in Karnataka there is an atmosphere in favour of the BJP, and the party's effort is to win all the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, he further said, adding that "I'm confident that we will be successful in this."
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The BJP had swept the 2019 general elections, bagging 25 of the total 28 seats in the state, while Sumalatha Ambareesh, an independent backed by the party had also emerged victorious in Mandya.
To a question about Sumalatha Ambareesh holding meeting with her supporters amid reports that the BJP may cede the Mandya seat to alliance partner JD(S), Yediyurappa said, "nothing has been discussed, I don't have any information, things will be clear in a couple of days."
The former CM said Shobha Karandlaje, who is Union Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare in the last Lok Sabha elections had won with a margin of over 3.5 lakh votes from Udupi-Chikmagalur segment and will win with an even bigger margin this time. "There should not be any doubt about it."
A postcard campaign has been initiated allegedly by some BJP workers urging PM Narendra Modi and party national president J P Nadda to not field Karandlaje from Udupi-Chikmagalur and give priority to new face.
Calling the campaign "systematic conspiracy", Yediyurappa said, "we know who is behind it, she (Karandlaje) will not lose courage, every one knows she has done a good job as union Minister. She will win with a bigger margin than last time," he added.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms lash parts of Uttarakhand; all districts put on high alert
Dehradun (PTI): Heavy rain and hailstorms accompanied by strong winds lashed several districts of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, prompting the state administration to put all district authorities on high alert.
The sudden change in weather caused uprooted trees to block roads and disrupted power supply at various locations.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman chaired a review meeting with district officials to assess the situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms at most places across all districts for Monday and Tuesday. Snowfall is expected in regions situated at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above.
An 'orange alert' remains in place for Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar. These districts are likely to witness isolated heavy rain, hailstorms, and intense to very intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted that maximum temperatures across the state are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. During the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures remained "markedly below normal" in the plains and ranged from "markedly" to "appreciably" below normal in the hilly regions.
Dehradun experienced dark, overcast skies early Sunday, creating night-like conditions during morning hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.
For the state capital, the forecast predicts a partly to generally cloudy sky with a high of 31 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees Celsius.
Significant rainfall was recorded across the state after 8.30 am on Sunday, with Jollygrant receiving 21.6 mm and Mohakampur recording 19.8 mm. Other areas, including Mukteshwar (15.0 mm), Mussoorie (13.4 mm), and Pithoragarh (8.5 mm), also saw measurable precipitation.
Secretary Suman directed officials to clear blocked roads on priority to ensure public convenience. Specific instructions were issued regarding the Char Dham Yatra, ordering that helicopter services must operate strictly according to weather conditions to ensure pilgrims' safety.
Isolated places in the remaining hilly districts are also expected to experience thunderstorms with lightning and intense rain spells.
