'Bengaluru best choice for Aero India': HD Kumaraswamy writes to Modi govt amid reports of new venue for air show

The Karnataka Congress has written to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, telling her that as a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, she had to protect the interests of the state and ensure that Aero India show was retained in Bengaluru. As a political slugfest broke out, state chief minister HD Kumaraswamy dashed off a missive to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, insisting that Bengaluru would be the “best choice” for the biennial event. There are reports that the event, organised by the defence ministry, would be held in Lucknow but the defence minister had made it clear a few days ago that no announcement had been made, but added that “people in many places are asking for that.” Ever since its inception in 1996, Bengaluru has been playing host to Asia’s biggest air show, in which 549 global and Indian companies from 51 countries participated at the 11th edition, held in February 2017. The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee has written to Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, telling her that as a Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, she had to protect the interests of the state and ensure that Aero India show was retained in Bengaluru. Kumaraswamy said Bengaluru, with its past experience in conducting the show successfully, “beautiful” weather conditions and favourably located defence and aviation industries, would be the best choice to conduct Aero India.