Karnataka MLC polls: Congress announces candidates
Bengaluru, Nov 22: The Congress on Monday announced the candidates for the December 10 polls to the Karnataka Legislative Council, saying tickets have been given to active workers and expressed the hope that it would win the maximum number of seats.
However, senior party leader and Leader of the Opposition in the legislative council S R Patil, who had represented the Bijapur local authorities seat and is due to retire in January, has not been given a ticket from the constituency this time, which has instead gone to Sunil Gowda Patil.
The biennial election to the Karnataka Legislative Council from 20 Local Authorities' Constituencies for 25 seats, due to retirement of sitting members, will be held on December 10.
The candidates announced by AICC today are Shivananda Patil Martur- Gulbarga, Channaraja Basavaraja Hottiholi-Belagavi, Bhimanna Naik-Uttara Kannada, Saleem Ahmed (KPCC Working President)-Hubli Dharwad Gadag Haveri, Sarana Gouda Patil-Raichur, B Somashekar-Chitradurga, R Prasanna Kumar- Shimoga, Manjunath Bhandari- Dakshina Kannada, Gayatri Shantegowda- Chikmagalur.
Also among the candidates are M Shankar- Hassan, R Rajendra-Tumkur, M G Gooli Gowda-Mandya, S Ravi-Bangalore Rural, Mantar Gowda-Kodag, D Thimmaiah-Mysore Chamarajamahar, K C Kondaiah-Bellary.
Speaking to reporters after the list was announced, state Congress President D K Shivakumar said it was done after discussions and keeping in mind the opponent's candidates. "Opportunity has been given to active workers of the party. We are expecting to win the maximum number of seats."
To a question on some new faces getting the ticket, he said these are elections from the local authorities' constituencies and whoever the voters and local leaders felt should be given ticket have been given the opportunity.
Asked about senior party leaders S R Patil, missing tickets this time, Shivakumar said, "Certain decisions have happened at the leadership level regarding senior leaders. There is no question of leaving him... the party has a different strategy for him."
He further said candidates will soon be announced for, Bidar, Bangalore and Kolar constituencies The ruling BJP has already announced its candidates.
The election is necessitated as the term of office of the 25 MLCs is going to end on January 5, 2022.
While tomorrow is the last date for filing nomination papers, scrutiny will take place on November 24.
The last date for withdrawal of candidature is November 26, and the counting of votes will take place on December 14.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Train to Kashmir: 22-bogie train's trial run successful on Katra-Srinagar line
Jammu: A 22-bogie train chugged between Katra and Srinagar railway stations on Sunday, officials said, marking the first successful trial run on the newly completed line to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country via rail.
The train, comprising 18 AC coaches, two luggage carriers and two engines, left the Katra railway station at around 8 am, successfully reaching its destination within four hours under the watchful eyes of the railway authorities, the officials said.
This was the first trial run between Katra and Srinagar, and came within six days after the Commissioner of Railway Safety (Northern Circle) Dinesh Chand Deshwal authorised the opening of the newly constructed Broad Gauge line.
He had given the authorisation for the start of public carriage of goods and passenger traffic in a seven-page letter to the ministry and railway authorities, based on his detailed inspection of the track on January 7 and 8.
The CRS referred to his inspection of the newly constructed BG line between the Katra and Reasi section by a motor trolley and on foot, followed by a speed trial on the entire section from Katra to Banihal.
He had then authorised regular opening of the section for passengers and freight traffic at a maximum permissible speed of 85 Kmph on the main line and 15 Kmph on turnout.
The work on the dream project to link Kashmir by train was started in 1997 and it missed several deadlines given geological, topographical and meteorological challenges.
Out of the total 272 km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project, 209 km was commissioned in phases with the first phase of the 118 km Qazigund-Baramulla section commissioned in October 2009, followed by 18 km Banihal-Qazigund in June 2013, 25 km Udhampur-Katra in July 2014 and 48.1 km long Banihal-Sangaldan stretch in February, last year.
The work on the 46-km Sangaldan-Reasi section was also completed in June last year, leaving a total of 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra. And this section was finally completed in December 2024 as announced by the Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
On January 4, a successful trial run of an electric train was successfully conducted on the Katra-Banihal section. The railways has conducted six trials over the past month on various segments of the track, including the two major milestones of the Anji Khad and Chenab bridges.
Katra-Srinagar Rail Link: First 18-Coach Train Completes Trial Run Successfully pic.twitter.com/p68axcUClX
— Daily Excelsior (@DailyExcelsior1) January 19, 2025
