Bengaluru Mayor polls: BJP or Cong? The ball is in JD(S) court!

August 16, 2016

Bengaluru Aug 16: With the mayoral polls scheduled for September 19, the spotlight is once again on the JD(S) led by father-son duo HD Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy. Will the JD(S) stay with the Congress or forge an allianc e with the BJP this time?

While JD(S) leaders have chosen to play their cards close to their chest, the Congress and BJP are leaving no stone unturned in wooing the party whose support is crucial for the 198-member BBMP council. BJP leader and former deputy chief minister R Ashok has initiated a dialogue with Kumaraswamy and urged him to extend support to the BJP as it enjoys a majority. Congressman and transport minister R Ramalinga Reddy visited Deve Gowda on Saturday to discuss continuing the Congress-JD(S) coalition in the Palike. Reddy is said to have offered the deputy mayor's post to the party.

"It's going to be a win-win situation for JD(S) irrespective of its decision. In fact, it will bargain hard with both parties this time, keeping in mind the 2018 assembly elections," party sources said.

The JD(S) struck a deal with the Congress last year despite the BJP having emerged as the single largest party in the BBMP council. "The JD(S) justified the move, stating it was prudent to go with the ruling party in the state. It sent city MLAs led by BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan to forge the alliance even as Kumaraswamy claimed he was not in the loop.

However, not everyone is enthused in the BJP camp. In fact, state president BS Yeddyurappa, who is sceptical of the JD(S), claimed to be unaware of Ashok's parleys with Kumaraswamy. Instead, he is said to have asked partymen to focus on winning the maximum number of seats from Bengaluru in the 2018 assembly polls.

The Congress is keen on continuing its alliance with JD(S) as it does not want the Rs 1,600-crore Bengaluru development plan to get derailed. Zameer Ahmed Khan, who has been suspended by the JD(S), doesn't want to intervene in the discussions. "Going by what we had assured last year, the Congress-JD(S) alliance was to continue for five years. I will remain neutral along with two other MLAs," he said.

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Post-Sabarimala pilgrimage drinking party turns fatal in Udupi; youth killed in midnight brawl

News Network

December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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