Speaker competent authority to decide on disqualification: Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru,Feb 14: Talking tough, Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah Thursday said his petition seeking disqualification of four disgruntled party MLAs was pending with the Speaker, who is the competent authority to take action under the anti-defection law.
The former Chief Minister said his petition to the Speaker has nothing to do with the four MLAs attending the session since Wednesday, as he noted that the legislators have violated the whip in earlier instances.
"There is no link between them (MLAs attending session and petition to the speaker), as they (MLAs) did not come earlier despite issuing whip, we moved the petition," Siddaramaiah said in response to a question whether letter to the Speaker will be withdrawn.
Stating that the disgruntled MLAs have not met him, on the question of reconsidering his decision, he said "the petition has already been given.
It is with the Speaker and Speaker is the competent authority to take action under the anti-defection law."
Four disgruntled Congress MLAs, who had gone missing for several weeks amid political turmoil in Karnataka, surfaced here Wednesday two days after the party recommended their disqualification to the Speaker.
The lawmakers had kept the party on tenterhooks for several weeks, defying its whip twice to attend the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meetings on January 18 and February 8.
They had also skipped the assembly Budget Session since February 6.
The four Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, B Nagendra and Mahesh Kumathali were reported to be in touch with the BJP, which has been accused of trying to poach the MLAs to bring down the JDS-Congress government.
The MLAs were upset ever since the cabinet reshuffle and expansion on December 22 that saw Jarkiholi's removal.
The Congress had petitioned the Speaker on Monday, seeking action against the four MLAs after warning them to mend their ways and fall in line.
The MLAs were earlier given notices, seeking an explanation for their conduct.
According to sources, the four decided to attend the proceedings to vote in favour of the finance bill, to save themselves from the disqualification move.
Siddaramaiah also hit out at the BJP and its chief B S Yeddyurappa for not allowing the discussion on budget and various issues during the assembly session.
"It clear shows for them (BJP) personal interest was more important than public interest...Yeddyurappa has hunger for power to become Chief Minister. They have failed miserably in their duties," he added.
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Metro ridership in Haryana sees over 13 pc rise in 2025-26
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana's urban transit system witnessed a strong growth in 2025-26, with metro ridership registering a robust 13.55 per cent increase, the state government said in a statement on Thursday.
The progress was reviewed in the 64th board meeting of Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation (HMRTC) chaired by Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi.
Between April 2025 and February 2026, the metro network recorded over 1.74 crore passengers, compared to 1.53 crore in the corresponding period the previous year.
July recorded the highest monthly growth at 22.93 per cent, while all months showed consistent positive trends.
Financial performance has also remained strong, with fare revenue rising 12.64 per cent till January 2026, the statement said.
Non-fare revenue surged by 108 per cent, driven by effective monetisation of station spaces, advertisements and commercial activities, resulting in an operating surplus for Rapid Metro.
Further initiatives, including the auction of station naming rights and additional advertisement sites, are expected to strengthen HMRTC's financial position, the statement said.
Appreciating the performance, Rastogi stated that the consistent rise in ridership and revenue reflects the success of Haryana's integrated transport strategy, rising commuter confidence and a clear shift towards public transport.
HMRTC Managing Director Chander Shekhar Khare said that, alongside operational gains, the state is making steady progress on an ambitious pipeline of metro and regional transit projects.
Metro connectivity from Gurugram Sector 56 to Panchgaon is under active consideration, with Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited studying the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and layout plan, and finalising a depot location in Sector 36A near Sihi village, he said.
The Gurugram-Faridabad Namo Bharat corridor has achieved a key milestone, with alignment and station locations finalised and approved by the Haryana government. The National Capital Region Transport Corporation is preparing the DPR, he added.
Similarly, the Delhi-Kundli metro extension is proposed to be placed before the Haryana Cabinet for approval.
The 136.3-kilometre Delhi-Panipat-Karnal RRTS Corridor has also progressed, with the revised DPR submitted for financial concurrence ahead of Haryana Cabinet consideration.
Within Gurugram, DPR preparation has been approved for key intra-city corridors, including the 17.09-kilometre Bhondsi-Subhash Chowk-Rajeev Chowk-Sohna Chowk Railway Station corridor, enhancing connectivity along Sohna Road, Khare said.
