1. Legendary Kannada actor-producer Dwarakish no more
Legendary Kannada actor, producer and director Dwarakish passed away at his Bengaluru residence on Tuesday. He was 81. They veteran artiste passed away in his sleep in the morning at his residence in Electronic City.
Dwarakish first made a mark as a comedian before going on to become a prolific producer under the banner Dwarakish Chitra in the Kannada film industry. He is best known for his collaboration with Kannada cinema stalwarts Dr. Rajkumar and Dr. Vishnuvardhan.
2. Lok Sabha candidates take many routes to voters’ heart in Bengaluru
With just 10 days to go to the first phase of elections to 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka on April 26, voters have a sensory overload with voice calls, SMSes, print and television advertisements by candidates appealing for votes.
Candidates in the fray in Bengaluru and other cities are literally on the run — visiting temples, meeting residents in apartment complexes, meeting commuters on metro trains, shaking hands with walkers in parks, holding exclusive meetings with members of professional bodies and consumers in markets. With voters turnout just about 54% in in the three constituencies of Bengaluru city in 2019, the reachout has been especially hectic.
3. Congress has not won Lok Sabha seat in Bengaluru after 1999, but hopeful of turning the tide in 2024
Congress has not won a Lok Sabha seat in Bengaluru city after 1999. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has won all the Lok Sabha seats in the city since 2004 — two seats in 2004, and three since 2009 after delimitation of seats in 2008.
This has been the case even when Congress outdid the BJP in Assembly polls thrice — 2004, 2013 and 2018 — indicating a schism in voter’s preferences in Bengaluru for the State and Centre. However, leaders of Congress, presently leading the government in Karnataka, said the elections this time could throw a surprise.
4. KIA Bengaluru records highest-ever annual passenger traffic and cargo growth
Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) said that the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru witnessed its highest-ever annual passenger traffic and cargo numbers during the financial year (FY) 2023-24.
A total of 37.53 million passengers traversed through KIA. Besides, 439,524 metric tonnes (MT) of cargo passed through the airport. The airport catered to 32.86 million domestic passengers and 4.67 million international passengers during this period.
