Leaders of opposition parties from south Karnataka to join BJP, hints CM Bommai
Bengaluru(PTI): As BJP sets its focus on southern Karnataka, where it is traditionally weak, with an eye on the 2023 assembly polls, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Friday said there is a wave in favour of the party in the region, as he hinted that leaders from other parties will be soon joining the organisation.
He said the party is having discussions about holding a large-scale public meet in Mandya, which comes under the old Mysuru region or south Karnataka belt.
"From various parts of the state many people are eager to join the party, especially Kolar, Mandya and other places, they will be inducted batch by batch," Bommai said in response to a question.
Speaking to reporters here, he said, there is a huge liking among people, especially youths, towards BJP in the Southern Karnataka region.
"So in Mandya and in the region, a new and young leadership is likely to emerge and there is a wave in favour of the BJP there....we are talking to several people, whoever agrees with the party and its ideology, we will speak to them," he added.
The old Mysuru region, comprising the southern districts of Karnataka, is dominated by the Vokkaliga community and has traditionally been a bastion of Congress and JD(S), where they contest as arch rivals.
BJP has been making consistent efforts to make inroads, aimed at reaping political dividends.
In the 2018 polls, the BJP managed to win one seat in Hassan; later in a high-voltage 2019 bypolls, it managed to win the KR Pet seat, its first victory in Mandya district, and also won Chikballapur, another first.
Creating history of sorts, the party bagged the Sira assembly segment in Tumakuru district for the first time in November, 2020 by polls.
State BJP Vice-President and former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa's son B Y Vijayendra, who is widely credited for the paty's victory in K R Pet and Sira, has recently stated that he is interested in working in the region, if the party decides.
The Chief Minister on Friday met former External Affairs Minister and former CM S M Krishna, who hails from Mandya, and held discussions with the veteran leader.
Bommai, however, termed it as a courtesy visit to greet Krishna, who recently turned 90.
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Fake notes with 'movie shooting purpose only' written on them send police into tizzy in Sirsi
Sirsi (Karnataka), Apr 8 (PTI): The police in Uttar Kannada went into a tizzy on Tuesday after they found fake currency notes of Rs 500 denomination from a house in Dandeli with 'movie shooting purpose only' written on them.
Based on a tip-off, police searched a rented house at Gandhinagar in Dandeli and confiscated the fake currency notes along with a money counting machine.
Arshad Khan, who is said to be from Goa, was staying as a tenant in the house belonging to Noorjan Jhunjuwadkar, police said.
Police were informed after Jhunjuwadkar noticed that Khan was absent from the house for the past one month.
The fake currency notes had the inscription 'Reverse Bank of India' on them, but did not have the signature of the RBI governor, police said.
The notes were printed on a shining paper with only zeros written in the place of the number, and 'movie shooting purpose only' inscribed on them, police said.
A hunt is on to trace Khan to question him about the seizure, they added.
