Chopper with Karnataka Congress leaders makes emergency landing

Bengaluru, June 4 (IANS) A helicopter carrying Congress leaders including its Karnataka unit President D.K. Shivakumar and Working President Eshwar Khandre had to make an emergency landing on the outskirts of Bengaluru, due to bad weather, on Friday.This incident took place when the Congress leaders were returning from Davanagere after taking part in a free anti-Covid vaccination drive, organised by the party's senior leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa there.When a chopper was approaching th Bengaluru at around 4 p.m., the city was already receiving heavy rain due to which it had to make an emergency landing at Nelamangala, around 30 km away.Along with Shivakumar and Khandre, Congress leaders Salim Ahmed, and MLC U. B. Venkatesh were also travelling in the helicopter.According to the weather forecast by the India Meteorological Department, a well-marked cyclonic circulation is persisting over the Konkan area, Goa and adjoining Arabian Sea. A trough, extending from this system running across interior parts of Karnataka in the close proximity of the state capital and then to the hinterland of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, will cause fairly widespread rains and thundershower for the next three days."Weather activity over Bengaluru could be more intense in the next 24 hours and mild on the third day. Most of the showers over Bengaluru will be experienced during evening and night hours. Consequently, the southwest monsoon is likely to set in anytime soon for Bengaluru and suburbs," the IMD said.
--IANS nbh/vd