Shivamogga airport to be named after BS Yediyurappa: CM Bommai
Shivamogga, Apr 20: The airport that is coming up at Sogane near here will be named after former chief minister B S Yediyurappa, Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday.
The airport, with international standard facilities, will be inaugurated in December this year, he said.
"I'm happy to note that our cabinet has decided to name this as B S Yediyurappa airport. We will send it (proposal) to the Civil Aviation Ministry, Government of India. Once approved, we will issue an order naming the airport before it is commissioned," Bommai said.
He was speaking after inspecting the ongoing airport work at Sogane on the outskirts of the city.
"The airport is currently under UDAN, a clearance from the Airport Authority of India is required, we will obtain it...we will have ATC and night-landing facilities here. The inauguration will happen in December, before that we will complete all the pending work and open it for the public," he added.
The Shivamogga airport will have the second longest runway in Karnataka after Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
Shivamogga is the political base of Yediyurappa, he is the MLA from Shikaripura assembly segment in the district, while his elder son B Y Raghavendra is MP from Shivamogga parliamentary constituency.
Stating that the airport will help all-round development of Shivamogga and surrounding areas, Bommai said it will enhance trade and commerce, and tourism in the region.
While the work on Bijapur Airport along with Shivamogga is under progress, Raichur Airport work will begin this year, and Karwar naval airport work is also underway, he added.
Noting that Yediyurappa as CM had conceptualised Shivamogga airport in 2007-08 itself, Bommai said it was approved in 2008 and was given to private players to develop under public-private partnership (PPP) model, but it did not happen.
"Then, the state government decided to put in money and develop the airport involving the Infrastructure Development Department and PWD department," he said, adding that the Shivamogga airport will have the second longest runway in the state, about 3,200 metres long and can enable an Airbus aircraft to land.
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Sena (UBT)-MNS alliance announcement for civic polls likely next week
Mumbai (PTI): The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) are likely to announce next week their alliance for the upcoming municipal corporation elections in Maharashtra, with seat-sharing for all the civic bodies, except Mumbai, almost complete, leaders of both the parties said.
Elections to 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, including the all-important Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), will be held on January 15, and the counting of votes will take place the next day.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) and the MNS will forge an alliance for the polls in municipal corporations of Mumbai, Thane, Mira-Bhayandar, Kalyan-Dombivli, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune and Nashik, among others.
The Sena (UBT) is headed by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, while his once-estranged cousin Raj is the president of the MNS.
"Talks for all civic bodies, except Mumbai, are complete. The sticking point is about the seats that we are demanding in Marathi-dominated areas. The Shiv Sena (UBT) is not still not agreeing to it which has delayed the seat-sharing. But the talks have to be over soon since the date of filing nominations starts next week (December 23 to December 30)," an MNS leader said.
Talking to reporters, MNS leader and former MLA Nitin Sardesai said, "It is appropriate to say that the talks are in final stages but it is difficult to say when it will be officially announced. I can only say that all sides are putting efforts to complete the talks and they are working towards it."
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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anil Parab met Raj Thackeray to discuss seat-sharing.
A Sena (UBT) leader said talks are in final stages and there is no hurdle in the seat-sharing agreement.
"The two brothers are expected to officially announce the alliance between the two parties on Monday in a public event or through a press conference that will set the tone for the civic body polls," he said.
Raj Thackeray quit the undivided Shiv Sena blaming Uddhav for his exit in 2005 and floated the MNS in 2006. They had been political rivals since then.
However, after the drubbing of their parties in the Maharashtra assembly polls in 2024 - the Sena (UBT) won 20 seats, while MNS drew a blank - both leaders decided to put behind their political acrimony and find a common ground for survival.
Over the past few months, the two cousins shared the stage or were spotted at public forums together multiple times for various reasons.
The cousins publicly ended their two-decade-long estrangement in July, where they addressed a joint rally. At the event, Uddhav said they have come together to stay together.
