Siddaramaiah tells minorities, BCs and Dalits not to vote for Modi
Bengaluru, Apr 11: Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah Thursday appealed to Dalits, members of backward castes and minorities not to vote for the BJP, alleging that elections would not be held if Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he dubbed "second Hitler", returns to power.
Addressing a public meeting in favour of the Congress-JD(S) alliance candidate Prajwal Revanna at Kaduru in Chikkamagaluru, Siddaramaiah said, "Not a single vote of Dalits, backward castes and Muslims should go to the BJP."
He warned people that autocracy will replace democracy if Modi comes back.
"I beg you with folded hand that this time you have to defeat the BJP. If Narendra Modi comes back again, elections will not take place. There will be autocracy.
Democracy will not survive.
Downtrodden communities, backward communities and minorities will be ruined," he said.
Siddaramaiah said when people ask Modi for job, he tells them to sell Pakoda.
"He (Narendra Modi) will be the second Hitler. You should be cautious," Siddaramaiah warned.
The jibe comes close on the heels of chief minister H D Kumaraswamy's calling Modi "worse than Hitler."
Kumaraswamy was upset over the income tax raids on contractors in Mysuru, Mandya, Ramanagar, Hassan and Bengaluru.
Siddaramaiah was accompanied by former prime minister H D Deve Gowda to seek vote for Prajwal Revanna, Gowda's grandson and PWD minister H D Revanna's son.
The JD(S) gave him ticket to contest from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency as the candidate of Congress-JD(S) coalition which is presently ruling Karnataka.
Gowda's another grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy, son of Kumaraswamy is contesting from the Mandya Lok Sabha constituency.
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Adani Group emerges lowest bidder for Bengaluru’s 16.75-km tunnel road project
Bengaluru: The Adani Group has become the lowest bidder for both packages of the proposed 16.75-km tunnel road project in Bengaluru, according to sources familiar with the bids opened by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE).
According to a report published by Deccan Herald on Monday, the government estimated the entire project to cost Rs 17,698 crore, while the Adani Group has quoted Rs 22,267 crore. The ports-to-power conglomerate’s bid is about 24% higher for the first package and 28% higher for the second than the government’s estimates, a gap that could prompt authorities to seek the state Cabinet’s approval on the tenders’ fate.
M Maheshwar Rao, Chief Commissioner of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), who is also the Managing Director of B-SMILE, declined to comment.
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In all, four infrastructure companies had participated in the tenders for the project, which has been proposed under the build-operate-transfer (BOT) model, with 40% funding from the government and the remaining investment to be raised by the private concessionaire.
During the technical evaluation, the Adani Group and the Hyderabad-based Vishwa Samudra Engineering Ltd qualified for the financial round.
According to the report, Dilip Buildcon was disqualified due to a clause that bars firms linked to collapsed bridges or tunnels, while Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL) was rejected because its joint venture (JV) partner did not meet technical requirements.
With only two companies left in the fray, the Adani Group emerged as the lowest bidder, ahead of Vishwa Samudra.
The tunnel project officially named the North–South underground corridor, is part of the Congress government’s ambitious to ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion by building two major underground roads (totalling 40 km) along with 13 flyovers and elevated corridors.
The project is the brainchild of Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, who is also the Bengaluru development minister.
The proposal, however, has faced criticism and political opposition, especially from senior BJP leaders, who object to the alignment that requires acquiring six acres of Lalbagh Botanical Garden, a historic green space.
As per the report, Urban mobility experts have also warned that the tunnel corridor may clash with the alignment of Namma Metro’s Phase 3A, possibly affecting the metro expansion.
