Siddaramaiah brushes off Rajanna's remarks, plays down talk of post-Sept political shift

Time of India

a day ago

Bengaluru: Embarrassed again by another untimely outburst — this time from a cabinet colleague — chief minister and his deputy
Friday played down minister KN Rajanna's comments hinting at major political developments in the state post-Sept.
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The two insisted that there is no rift in the state Congress unit.
"Minister KN Rajanna only said there may be political developments in the state, but he did not say it is certain to happen. It is better to ignore his remarks,"
said on the sidelines of an event to mark the 516th birth anniversary of Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, widely regarded as the founder of Bengaluru.
"Where is there internal bickering?" Siddaramaiah said. "What can be done if you [reporters] write speculative reports? It's better to ignore it," the CM said. He refused to respond to a question on Rajanna's remark that there are several power centres in
.
On Rajanna's remark suggesting a "revolution in the govt" after Sept, Shivakumar said, "I am not aware of this. I will speak to him and let you know afterwards. In any case, you should ask him directly."
Kempegowda memorial plan
Shivakumar who also participated in various Kempegowda Jayanti programmes, announced plans for a grand memorial in honour of the Vijayanagar Empire chieftain and unveiled a slew of major infrastructure projects worth Rs 1 lakh crore for Bengaluru.
Participating in celebrations at Babu Jagjivan Ram Bhavan, Shivakumar laid the foundation for the new 'Kempegowda Bhavan' and presented the Kempegowda International Awards.
"This is a very special occasion," he said. "We allotted five acres through the Kempegowda Development Authority. It is we [Congress govt] who began celebrating the jayanti and gave land. Now, we are laying the foundation stone for a grand building."
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Calling Kempegowda the "inspiration" behind modern Bengaluru, Shivakumar said, "He laid the foundation for model governance 500 years ago and welcomed all castes and religions." Shivakumar outlined major civic upgrades, including 40km of tunnel roads (Rs 17,000 crore), 118km of flyovers, and 'Nambike Naksha' scheme, which will deliver 25lakh digitised property records to doorsteps.
A 60,000-seat stadium is also planned, with 50 acres identified.
He said the Cauvery 5th Stage project has been completed and work is underway on the 6th Stage. "A metro line will pass through Sumanahalli," he added.
A Rs 100 crore Kempegowda Research Centre will come up at Bengaluru University, and the Kempegowda International Airport has been recognised with an award for preserving his legacy. "We must never forget the three 'Ks': Kempegowda, Kengal Hanumanthaiah, and SM Krishna.
Bengaluru belongs to everyone," Shivakumar said.
After garlanding Kempegowda's statue near Vidhana Soudha, Siddaramaiah hailed him as a "far-sighted administrator" and credited him for laying the foundation of modern Bengaluru. He also recalled that during his 2013–2018 tenure, his govt, in consultation with Adichunchanagiri pontiff Nirmalanandanatha Swami, identified Kempegowda's birth date, leading to the annual celebration.
"Since then, the govt has been continuously celebrating Kempegowda Jayanti.
If Bengaluru is recognised internationally today, it was Kempegowda who laid the foundation for it," he said.
Siddaramaiah said Kempegowda's planning continues to guide modern governance. "He built towers in four parts of Bengaluru and developed areas like Nagarathpet, Chikkpet, and Balepet based on his vision for the city," he said.