Mumbai: After successful editions in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, CNN News18 Town Hall comes to the Silicon Valley of the country, Bengaluru with a platform which is bigger and better. The Bengaluru Town Hall will be held on February 7 2023, 4pm onwards and will bring together prominent political figures, industry leaders and cultural icons to discuss key issues that will shape the upcoming elections in Karnataka. The conversations would be centred around the theme “Will Karnataka Vote for Continuity or Change?”

The Town Hall will feature chief minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai who will share his views on the theme, followed by a discussion with DK Shivakumar, President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC).

Infosys Former Director and padma shri awardee, Mohandas Pai will share his views on the topic, "How to make elected Netas prioritize Bangalore's infrastructure?" The event will also be joined by PhonePe founder & CEO Sameer Nigam who will put forward his views on the theme of "Can Bengaluru retain its edge as India’s startup capital?"

The evening will further witness a discussion with Actor Chetan Ahimsa followed by a discussion with Historian Vikram Sampath on "From Savarkar to Tipu, Karnataka election narrative to be dominated by historic figures?". The last session of the evening will be with Kiccha Sudeepa, Actor & Director, on the theme of "Is South Indian cinema better than Bollywood?"

Speaking about the upcoming event, CNN News18 managing editor Zakka Jakob said, “CNN-News18 Town Hall is a dynamic platform where thought leaders engage in informed conversations and provide their nuanced opinions on themes that are relevant to the local people in that state. We are honoured to bring together these prominent figures to share their perspectives and insights on the future of Karnataka. CNN News18 always strives to provide a stellar repertoire of content across all formats.”

Network18 CEO Business Cluster Smriti Mehra said, “Having received a tremendous positive response to the previous events held in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai, we are now ready to host this marquee event with distinguished personalities in Bengaluru. As the No. 1 English News Channel in India, CNN News18 is able to put a spotlight on local issues through its Town Halls. We also thank our partners for their trust in CNN News18 and associating with this property.”