Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy led a groundbreaking in Tumakuru, Karnataka, for the newly set up Adarsha Specialty Chemicals. He said industry is driving growth in many ways and credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for the sector's expansion.
The company is home to India's largest factory for silicone adhesives and sealants, and its founder, Omkar Murthy Siddaramappa, attended the event.
In a post on X, Kumaraswamy said the government is working under Modi to strengthen manufacturing, create jobs and build a Viksit Bharat by 2047.
PM Narendra Modi will open and lay foundation stones for projects in Karnataka valued at more than Rs 15,600 crore. Among them is the Pink Line of Bengaluru Metro, linking Kalena Agrahara and Tavarekere, a Rs 3,470 crore project.
He will also open the country's biggest underground LPG storage cavern in Mangaluru, an Rs 850 crore facility holding 80,000 metric tonnes.
The programme also includes the Vande Bharat Express between Bengaluru, Mangaluru and Madgaon, which he will flag off, and the golden jubilee of the S-VYASA yoga institute in Bengaluru.
BY Vijayendra's three-year term as Karnataka BJP chief has ended, and the party's central leaders are weighing whether his successor should be a Lingayat.
Names being discussed include Sunil Kumar, Shobha Karandlaje, Tejasvi Surya and CN Ashwath Narayan. Lingayats, about 15 to 17 per cent of the state's population, have long been the party's core support.
Past non-Lingayat chiefs have produced uneven outcomes. If one is picked, a Lingayat is expected to become leader of the opposition, with Aravind Bellad being considered.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has accused the state BJP of staying silent over lab tests showing ethanol above the 20% cap in petrol from 67 outlets. He says the Centre must explain the discrepancies.
He claimed petrol vehicle owners are facing engine trouble and poor mileage, while the BJP is protesting price rises. He also hit out at state BJP chief B.Y. Vijayendra over recent remarks about Congress leaders.
A first list of 500 directors for boards and corporations has been signed, and two more lists will follow.
Karnataka CM D K Shivakumar says the BJP should first address concerns over ethanol in petrol before protesting price hikes. He claims the blend has hurt mileage and damaged engines.
The state says E20 samples from seven districts had up to 31 per cent ethanol, above the 20 per cent limit. Shivakumar wants the Centre to probe the fuel's source and quality, and says he is not blaming pump operators.
Meanwhile, the BJP staged a Bengaluru protest against rising prices. State chief B Y Vijayendra warned it could reach panchayat level if the hikes are not withdrawn.
Congress workers protested at several petrol pumps in Bengaluru on Monday, alleging fuel has more ethanol than the 20 per cent limit. They want the Centre to halt the blending programme.
Led by S Manohar, they demonstrated at Nehru Circle and in Malleswaram. The party cites Karnataka government samples showing 21 to 30 per cent ethanol.
Food minister Rizwan Arshad has asked oil companies to explain the content of 63 samples, while BJP MP Yaduveer Wadiyar dismisses the claims as a way to deflect from price rises.
Tamil Nadu CM C Joseph Vijay has asked PM Narendra Modi to hold back any clearance for Karnataka's proposed Mekedatu dam on the Cauvery until co-basin states consent.
His November 6 letter flags a site visit by Union officials to the proposed location and warns that the 67.16 TMC reservoir could cut water flows and monthly deliveries to Tamil Nadu.
He also accuses Karnataka of not releasing Tamil Nadu's due share of water in the 2026-27 deficit year, and wants the Centre to defer action tied to the visit.
Rahul Gandhi alleges that petrol sold in Karnataka has more ethanol than the 20% ceiling permits. Lab tests on samples from seven districts found 11 of 14 above that level, he claims.
Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum samples showed 31.2% and 30.5% ethanol, he said. Oil firms' own labs, he added, did not report ethanol content, and pumps do not tell buyers the actual blend.
He warned the blend could cut mileage and damage some vehicles, and asked PM Narendra Modi how much ethanol is in petrol nationwide and when action will follow.
Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has accused some BJP leaders of trying to claim credit for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's November 13 visit to Bengaluru, where he will inaugurate the metro Pink Line. He stressed that the PM is coming at the state government's invitation.
Speaking to reporters in Kanakapura on Friday, Shivakumar mocked unnamed BJP figures for seeking publicity over an event they had no part in. He questioned why they would bother, since they had nothing to do with organising it.
PM Narendra Modi has pledged full support to Karnataka CM D.K. Shivakumar for any state effort on water security. In a five-page letter ahead of Karnataka Rajyotsava, he urged making water conservation a top priority, calling drought a serious challenge, especially in northern Karnataka.
He suggested reviving water bodies, harvesting rainwater and managing water responsibly, and also pointed to city cleanliness and scientific waste management as areas needing attention. The Chief Minister's Office released the letter to the press on Thursday.
News India Xtra@newsIndiaxtra
