H.D Kumaraswamy hints at Congress party’s collapse in Karnataka says fresh elections in 2024
D.K Shivakumar to go back to jail, doubt him contesting fresh polls: HDK
Bengaluru: Former Karnataka Chief Minister and Janata Dal Secular JD(S) leader H.D Kumaraswamy during a recent address to party members in Ramanagara hinted at the possibility of fresh assembly elections in the state in 2024.
Stressing on his leaders to brace up for polls next year, he further asserted that he is aware of the political developments in the state and “it is inevitable for the state to face polls in 2024, the Congress party will collapse, nobody could stop it from happening.”
Furthermore he mentioned that he has not seen such a bad government, the Congress government will collapse due to internal strife.
Kumarwamy further expressed confidence in winning the Magadi and Kanakapura assembly seats in the fresh polls, additionally retaining the Channapatna seat that he won during the polls held in May 2023. Mocking at DKS, he said that he doubts the Karnataka Congress Chief’s contest for the fresh assembly polls.
Meanwhile, he termed Shivakumar responsible for the Congress-JD(S) collapse in 2018-19 and added that the then government crumbled following the feud between Shivakumar and former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi.
Addressing reporters, he stated that, “ no surprise if D.K Shivakumar goes back to jail , however I may be driven back to my native Hassan but not to Tihar jail.”
In the meantime responding to Kumaraswamy’s statements, D.K Shivakumar pointed out that Kumarswamy has revealed his plans and that he was telling what all he can do. At the same time recollecting about the cases lodged against his sister, brother during Kumaraswamy's tenure as Chief Minister, he stated that the JD(S) leader has recalled them now.
In the elections held in May this year, the Congress party won a decisive victory by securing 135 seats. Siddaramaiah, was elected as the Chief Minister, while D.K. Shivakumar, the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, assumed the role of Deputy Chief Minister. The two opposition parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the JDS, forged an alliance, in view of the upcoming general elections.
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Commercial LPG hike: Delhi restaurant owners warn of higher menu rates, job losses
New Delhi (PTI) A day after a 50 per cent rise in commercial LPG cylinder prices, Delhi's food business, with restaurant owners and street vendors have warned of higher menu rates, financial strain and potential job losses if the trend persists.
The price of commercial LPG was hiked by a steep Rs 993 per 19 kg cylinder, marking the third consecutive monthly hike amid rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
For many in the restaurant industry, the spike has been both sudden and steep.
Manpreet Singh, honorary treasurer of the National Restaurant Association of India, said that eateries are already grappling with supply challenges alongside rising costs.
"There is a huge difficulty in getting these cylinders, and black marketing is also increasing in many unregulated sectors," he said, noting that prices that were once around Rs 1,600, often dropping to nearly Rs 1,300 with discounts, have now surged to between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,000 per cylinder.
He further added that a medium-sized restaurant typically uses between two and five cylinders daily, making the increase particularly burdensome as costs mount.
Singh further said that as costs mount, smaller establishments could struggle to stay afloat. Instead, the association has advised restaurants to shift towards piped natural gas connections through Indraprastha Gas Limited as a more sustainable alternative.
"If this problem continues, PNG is the only long-term solution," he said, adding that temporary measures like coal offer limited relief due to slower cooking times and that it can largely be used only for tandoors.
Echoing similar concerns, Kabir Suri, owner of Mamagoto in Khan Market, said the impact is already visible across the industry. "There has been almost a threefold increase in cylinder prices for restaurants," he said, adding that rising fuel and logistics costs are compounding the pressure.
"If this continues, it will become a significant financial burden, and food prices will inevitably go up. Adding to this burden, higher fuel costs are also affecting logistics and transportation, making a price rise unavoidable. The extent of the impact will vary between small eateries and large chains depending on their scale," he said.
Global oil prices have surged nearly 50 per cent following disruptions in energy supply chains due to the West Asia conflict, pushing up commercial fuel costs and transport expenses.
A West Delhi-based restaurateur said they are trying to manage rising costs while keeping their staff secure. "We are trying to ensure that our staff, from kitchen workers to waiters, are paid on time and do not face immediate hardship," the owner said.
"We are a small restaurant with seating for about 20 to 25 people at a time. But if this continues for long, we will have to take difficult calls. There is only so much we can absorb, and menu prices will have to go up. We hope this does not continue for a longer period," he said.
Another restaurant owner in North Delhi, who did not wish to be named, said operational adjustments alone may not be enough. "We are checking our costs very carefully and trying to cut wherever possible, but if fuel prices remain high, it will eventually affect how we run the business," the owner said.
"Coal helps in tandoor cooking, but it takes more time," the owner further added.
The strain is even more acute among street vendors, many of whom operate on thin margins. A vendor in Saket said he had recently expanded his business, moving from a mobile cart to a rented outlet.
"I have a family to feed and more responsibilities now. Earlier, I managed with a moving cart, but after renting the place, expenses increased," he said. "Whenever cylinders were unavailable, I had to buy them at higher rates in the black market. Now even regular supply is too expensive, and if this continues, we may have to shut down," he added.
In Laxmi Nagar, another vendor said they are struggling to keep the business running. "Sometimes we even used domestic cylinders from home when supply ran out because we had to keep the stall running," he said, adding that rising costs leave little choice but to increase prices or bear losses.
On April 1, the rates of commercial LPG cylinders were hiked by Rs 195.50 per cylinder, followed by a Rs 114.5 hike on March 1, taking the total increase over the past three months to Rs 1,303. With the latest revision, a 19 kg commercial LPG cylinder now costs Rs 3,371.5 in Delhi, up from Rs 2,078.5 earlier.
The prices of domestic LPG cylinders used for household cooking have remained unchanged. They were last increased by Rs 60 per 14.2 kg cylinder on March 7 and currently cost Rs 913 in Delhi.
