Now, this CM Ibrahim lambasts Siddu; praises Deve Gowda

Udupi, Apr 25: Senior RSS leader H Somashekhar Bhatt received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday enquiring about his health.

Bhatt got emotional hearing the Prime Minister's voice at the other end, family sources said.

The Prime Minister called at 8.30 AM and began the conversation with 'Somashekharji' and spoke for about six minutes.

The 85-year-old veteran recalled how the Jana Sangh came to power in Udupi municipality under the leadership of V S Acharya in 1968 and about his association with the Sangh Parivar through the decades and his imprisonment during the Emergency.

Bhatt, former Udupi municipality president, later said it was a rare honour for him.

"I am very glad that PM Modi called and spoke to me. I shared the experience of meeting him at the Jaipur session.

Asked to take care of health and expressed concern," he said.

The Prime Minister has been calling senior functionaries of the party who worked for the Sangh Parivar in the time of adversities to build up the BJP in its present form and seeking advice from them.

He had also called in recent days former MLA Ram Bhat who was elected from Puttur in Dakshina Kannada and D H Shankar Murthy, who was former chairman of the state legislative council, BJP state president Nalin Kumar Kateel tweeted.

Bengaluru, Jun 15: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Monday laid the foundation stone for the construction of a Rs 220 crore airport project in his political bastion of Shivamogga, as he expressed confidence that it will give a boost to tourism, industries and economic activities in the region.

"The long cherished dream of people of Shivamogga about having an airport is finally becoming a reality.

The project that was planned when I was Deputy Chief Minister and Chief Minister in the past was shelved due to contractor issues and lack of interest by the governments that came later," Yediyurappa said.

Speaking at the foundation laying event for the airport, which he attended virtually via video conference, he said, now the government is once again taking up the project through infrastructure development and PWD departments.

The project to construct the well-equipped airport at Sogane in Shivamogga taluk at the cost of Rs 220 crore in about 662.38 acre land area has been initiated, he said, adding that the project will be taken up in two phases.

He expressed hope that it will be completed in a year's time.

The first phase consists of runway, taxiway, apron, approach road, peripheral road and compound wall construction, while the second phase consists of terminal building, ATC tower, fire station building, among others, a release said.

Noting that under the Udan scheme the project has been envisaged to provide affordable air travel to people, the Chief Minister expressed confidence about tourism, industries and economic activities in the region getting a boost, with the small airport coming up at Shivamogga.

He also directed officials to complete the airport work on time without compromising on the quality.

Highlighting various developmental works that is being implemented in Shivamogga, the district which is regarded as his political turf, Yediyurappa said, with the cooperation of the central government various railway projects have also been taken up in the district including Shivamogga- Shikaripura rail route.

Shikaripura is the constituency represented by the Chief Minister, while his son B Y Raghavendra represents Shimoga constituency in Lok Sabha.

Yediyurappa, who also inaugurated the divisional office of National Highway authority in the district, said a bridge project across river Sharavati at Singndur in Sagara taluk will be taken up.

Conceding that developmental work has taken a backseat due to the COVID-19 situation, the Chief Minister said the challenge is to overcome it and achieve development.

Bengaluru, Jan 5: Former Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara has said the Karnataka Congress has unanimously decided to appeal to the party high command regarding the appointment of KPCC President and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader in the state.

Speaking to reporters, the Congress leader said, "We have decided to gather the opinion of senior leaders regarding the selection of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president and opposition leaders. We will appeal to the high command regarding the same. The party will decide its next course of action."

He made these remarks after a meeting of senior party leaders was held at Parameshwara's residence here on Saturday.

Adding that the Congress leaders discussed the current political scenario in the state, Parameshwara said: "We held a meeting to reiterate that we are not confused and we all are together."

"There has been no personal discussion on who should be the president," he said.

Earlier, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had tendered resignation from their respective posts owning moral responsibility for the party's poor performance in the recent by-polls.