BJP veteran and former CM BS Yediyurappa and the party’s national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh met over breakfast Saturday, projecting unity despite a history of strained ties.In a post on X, Yediyurappa said Santhosh visited his residence, conveyed personal greetings marking his 50-year political journey, and appreciated his role in strengthening the party in Karnataka. The meeting assumes significance amid internal dissent in the party against BJP state president and Yediyurappa’s son BY Vijayendra by a section of senior party functionaries. Party insiders said the interaction comes ahead of the May 9 ‘BSY Abhimanotsava’ in Chitradurga, and is seen as an attempt to bring together factions within the state unit.————Govt to mark 3 years in office on May 20The state govt will complete three years in office on May 20, and a mega convention is being planned in Tumakuru to mark the occasion, home minister G Parameshwara said Saturday. More than 2 lakh beneficiaries from across the state are expected to attend the event.—-Karnataka launches spacetech centreKarnataka Thursday launched a state-backed centre of excellence (CoE) for space technology in Bengaluru, announcing plans to develop a constellation of satellites aimed at meeting end-user and societal needs. The initiative, called the CoE SpaceTech Foundation, has been set up by the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) in collaboration with industry body SIA-India. The launch comes amid increasing private participation in the space sector following reforms introduced by the Centre over the past few years. IT minister Priyank Kharge said the govt will hold consultations with industry stakeholders on the need for shared technical infrastructure and common facilities for companies working in the sector. He also indicated govt support for developing a satellite constellation focused on societal applications — an intention that underscored the CoE’s stated theme of “Space Tech for Societal Impact.”——Info Commission gets new chiefGovernor Thawar Chand Gehlot has appointed Sathyavathi G as the state chief information commissioner. The govt issued a notification in this regard.——-Surya greets DKS on becoming grandfatherBJP MP Tejasvi Surya Friday greeted deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar on becoming a grandfather, noting that the latter continued official engagements despite the development at home. In a post on X, Surya said Shivakumar participated in multiple programmes in south Bengaluru while receiving repeated calls about his daughter Aishwarya Shivakumar’s delivery.He attended events including a flyover inauguration and a skywalk foundation ceremony. Surya said the instance reflected the demands of public life and extended his wishes to the newborn and the family.——GP delimitation: Objection deadline extended to May 8Karnataka Panchayat Raj Delimitation Commission has extended the deadline to submit objections to its draft notification on fixing the number of elected members in gram panchayats (GPs) to May 8, following public requests. The draft, published on April 18 for all 31 districts, had initially allowed a week for feedback. Objections can be submitted online or in person/by post at the commission’s Bengaluru office. An adalat will be held from May 12 to May 15 at the rural development and panchayat raj department office to consider grievances. Participants must carry Aadhaar, voter ID, or any govt-issued photo ID. ——-Had courtesy meeting with MLC: ParameshwaraHome minister G Parameshwara said Saturday that his recent meeting with Congress MLC B K Hariprasad was a “courtesy interaction,” dismissing speculation linking it to any leadership change in the state. He said the meeting, also attended by minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, focused on political developments and elections in other states. “Hariprasad told me that he had met the chief minister, but did not disclose what was discussed,” he said. Parameshwara added that the discussion remained informal and did not involve leadership issues. He reiterated that Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge has already ruled out any leadership change in Karnataka.
