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BJP to create 5,000 WhatsApp groups to reach out to voters

DHNS
June 27, 2017

Bengaluru, Jun 27: As a part of its election strategy, the state BJP is planning to create at least 5,000 WhatsApp groups in a bid to reach out to the electorate ahead of the next year’s Assembly polls.bjpwhatsapp

The party has started identifying its workers who could be appointed as the administrators of the WhatsApp groups. “We are planning to create at least 25 WhatsApp groups in each of the 224 Assembly constituencies. These will not be general groups but will be segmented to cater to different sections of the electorate. For instance, there will be groups specific to information technology professionals, teachers, senior citizens, people who have migrated from other states and so on,” BJP IT Cell state convenor K Amresh said.

He said that the groups are being created to bond and reach out to the electorate rather than propagate the party ideology. “WhatsApp is turning out to be the best social media connect. Our internal survey has revealed that people tend to stay connected more to WhatsApp rather than Facebook and Twitter,” Amresh said.

The administrators will select members for the respective WhatsApp groups. The Assembly constituency-wise data base created during the party’s membership enrolment drive will be utilised for the selection process. “On the content and other aspects of our social media reachout initiative, training programmes for the administrators will be held at the regional levels soon,” Amresh added.

In a way, the state unit of the BJP is trying to emulate the Uttar Pradesh model in its social media mass outreach programme. Ahead of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year, the party had constituted a number of coordinated teams comprising information technology experts. Regional units and district committees were constituted. These teams had formed 10,300 WhatsApp groups.

BSY briefs Shah on political developments

BJP  state president B S Yeddyurappa is learnt to have briefed party national president Amit Shah about the recent political developments in the state, including the likelihood of the ruling Congress going in for early Assembly polls.

Shah stayed overnight in Bengaluru on Monday en route to Puducherry. Shah arrived at the Kempegowda International Airport at 12.35 am on Monday and left for Puducherry at 8 am to participate in a party event. He stayed at a star hotel near the airport. Yeddyurappa, party general secretaries Aravind Limbavali and Arun Kumar received Shah at the airport. Yeddyurappa is said to have given Shah a brief update of his ‘Janasamparka Abhiyan’ and the recent decision of the state government to waive crop loans up to Rs 50,000. The interaction did not last long as it was already late when Shah landed in Bengaluru. Shah will visit the state for three days from August 3 and is planning to hold a series of meetings with the state leaders and the party cadre to chalk out the strategy for the Assembly elections.

Comments

Ahmed K.C.
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Jun 2017

OMG
Imagine the number of lies?

Abdul
 - 
Tuesday, 27 Jun 2017

they could have made a new app, ohh sorry credit chor log hai, aadath se majboor

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News Network
February 5,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 5: Despite installing a BJP government in Karnataka through disguised operation Kamala, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led union government has continued its step motherly attitude towards this south Indian state.

Under the new formula adopted to share central taxes among states Karnataka will be the worst-affected. Though the 15th Finance Commission has recommended a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore for the state for 2020-21, the Centre appears reluctant to pay up and instead has asked for the proposal to be reviewed.

During the Union budget, the report of the 14th Finance Commission headed by NK Singh for 2020-21 was tabled in Lok Sabha. It shows besides Karnataka, Telangana, Mizoram and Kerala saw their central tax share decrease, while Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra were top gainers.

Karnataka's share has decreased from 4.7% provided by the previous finance commission, to 3.6%. Acknowledging there is a steep decline in Karnataka's share from 2019-20, the finance commission has recommended a special grant of Rs 5,495 crore for the state.

Its share in 2019-20 was Rs 36,675 crore, but under the new formula, Karnataka will get only Rs 31,180 crore in 2020-21 from the divisible pool of Rs 8.5 lakh crore - a decline of 22.5%.

Also, the decrease for Karnataka comes on the back of a shortfall in 2019-20. While the state was entitled to Rs 39,806 crore from the divisible pool, it got only Rs 36,675 crore as the Centre suffered a tax revenue shortfall of Rs 1.5 lakh crore.

What is more disheartening though is the Centre's refusal to pay the special grant. Instead, the Union finance ministry has asked the finance commission to reconsider the recommendation. This has prompted the state to take up the issue with the Centre.

"The decline in central taxes devolution comes at a time when the state is going through a tough financial situation. Steps are being taken to ensure Karnataka gets justice," said chief secretary TM Vijay Bhaskar.

Officials said besides corrective measures for 2020-21, the focus will be on ensuring a fair share in subsequent years. However, Karnataka has little chance of getting its dues as the Centre is known to be prudent when distributing tax proceeds among states.

"The Centre has certain views on devolution. We have done our duty by submitting the interim report. It's up to the states to convince the Centre," said Ravi Kota, joint secretary of 15th Finance Commission.

Under the new formula, the commission changed the weightage for some of the six criteria it considers - population, area, forest cover, income distance, demographic performance and tax effort.

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News Network
August 4,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 4: Police barricades, yellow banners, walls with a fresh coat of paint and the sounds of bhajan mark parts of Ayodhya as the city awaits its big day Wednesday, when the first brick will be laid for the Ram temple.

Ayodhya is decked up for the bhoomi pujan that will be attended at the Ram Janmabhoomi by 175 people, who figure in a select guest list of seers and politicians topped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Concerned over the spread of coronavirus, the authorities are encouraging others not to come to the temple town, asking them to mark the occasion by celebrating at their homes. The groundbreaking ceremony will be telecast live.

Roads leading to Ayodhya display hoardings with the picture of the proposed Ram temple and of Ram Lalla, the infant Ram, the deity now housed in a makeshift temple.

Around the town’s Hanumangarhi area – named after a well-known temple which Modi will visit on Wednesday – both police sirens and ‘bhajans’ in praise of Ram are heard.

Most of the shops in the locality wear a new look, with their fronts painted in bright yellow. A large number of policemen were deployed there on Tuesday. Some sat in the sweet shops, waiting for their next instructions.

Roads leading into the area are barricaded. Yards of yellow cloth and marigold garlands were being hung on poles.

Even on the day before the event, security checks on vehicles heading to Ayodhya begin from adjoining Barabanki district itself on the Lucknow-Ayodhya road. Policemen take down details, including mobile numbers of the travellers.

Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said the focus of the force is on maintaining the Covid-19 protocol.

“So we are not going to allow any outsider to enter Ayodhya city,” he said. Prohibitory orders are also in force and not more than four people will be allowed to gather.

“The markets and shops will remain open but with strict adherence to the Covid protocol,” he said. Outsiders will be stopped from entering the city, but Ayodhya residents will be allowed in if they produce any identification document.

“We are also carrying out random checks on people living in Ayodhya to ensure that no outsiders are staying here,” he said.

The city’s temples and mosques will remain open, but no other religious event – except for the bhoomi pujan – will take place on Wednesday.

Pickets have been set up at sensitive points in the city.

Sub-inspector Ram Chandra Yadav and constables Avnish Kumar and Ankit Chaudhary man the Terhi Bazar Chauraha picket near the Ram Janmabhoomi site.

"We are here for the past some days, and were on duty on the Rakshabandhan day. Duty comes first and only after that come other things in life, like festivals," Yadav said.

Mayank Gupta, who runs a restaurant, was handing out food packets to policemen, his customers.

"For the last two months, I have been providing tiffin to them twice a day. There are around 100 policemen to whom I supply tiffin," Gupta said.

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coastaldigest.com news network
June 17,2020

Mangaluru, Jun 17: A private flight chartered by UAE-based NRI hotelier Praveen Shetty has brought home around 175 people from United Arab Emirates.

This is the third flight chartered by Mr Shetty, chairman of the Fortune Group of Hotels, and president of the Karnataka Non-Resident Indian Forum, to repatriate his employees and other stranded Kannadigas.

The Air Arabia flight with 168 adult passengers and six infants on board took off from Sharjah International Airport at 9:45 pm (UAE time) on June 16 and landed at Mangaluru International Airport at 2:50 am Indian Standard Time on June 17.

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