BJP storms to power with more than three-fourth majority in Uttarakhand

March 11, 2017

New Delhi, Mar 12: Riding the Modi wave, the BJP on Saturday swept to power in Uttarakhand by winning a three-fourth majority in the 70-member Assembly, trouncing Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

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Rawat lost from both the seats he had contested.The BJP won 56 seats, in what is considered to be a historic, one-sided victory in a state where the party had not projected a chief ministerial face and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had carried out a whirlwind campaign, hard-selling decisions of demonetisation and ‘one-rank, one-pension’. Counting was still going on in one Assembly seat.

According to the Election Commission data, the BJP garnered 46.5% of the votes, while the Congress managed to get 33.5% votes. The BSP, which had emerged kingmaker in the previous three Assembly elections, got 7% votes, but failed to open its account.

The Congress suffered a rout in the state where Chief Minister Rawat and party chief Kishor Upadhyay lost the elections to the BJP. Rawat lost the Haridwar Rural seat to BJP’s Yatishwaranand by a margin of 12,278 votes. He also lost the Kichha seat to the BJP's Rajesh Shukla.

Upadhyay lost to Sahadev Singh Pundir of the BJP by a margin of 18,863 votes. Infighting within the Congress also contributed to his defeat as party rebel Aryendra Sharma had polled 21,888 votes.

“I own up my failure to rise up to the expectations of my party workers who had worked very hard despite lack of resources,” Chief Minister Harish Rawat said in Dehradun after submitting his resignation to Governor K K Paul.

Celebrations broke out at the BJP office in Dehradun as the results indicated a massive victory with senior leaders getting into the process of selecting the chief minister.

The BJP Parliamentary Party is expected to meet here on Sunday. Names of Satpal Maharaj, Trivendra Singh Rawat and Prakash Pant are doing the rounds as the probable chief ministerial candidates.

Ten out of the 12 Congress leaders, who had joined the BJP ahead of the elections, emerged victorious. Among the next generation leaders, Ritu Khanduri, the daughter of former chief minister B C Khanduri, won from Yamkeshwar, while Saurabh Bahuguna, the son of former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, won from Sitarganj.

The Congress had launched a spirited campaign against the BJP which highlighted the failed attempts to topple the Harish Rawat government last year by triggering mass defections.

However, voters appeared mesmerised by Modi’s “strong leadership” reflected in the decision to demonetise high-value currency and the ‘one-rank, one-pension’ initiative, a long standing demand of the ex-servicemen community.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A 34-year-old fruit and vegetable trader in Mangaluru has reportedly lost ₹33.1 lakh after falling victim to an online investment scam run through a fake mobile app.

Police said the scam began in September, when the victim received a link on Facebook. Clicking it connected him to a WhatsApp number, where an unidentified person introduced a high-return investment scheme and instructed him to download an app.

To build trust, the fraudster asked him to invest ₹30,000 on September 24. The trader soon received ₹34,000 as “profit,” convincing him the scheme was genuine. Over the next two months, he transferred money in multiple instalments via Google Pay and IMPS to different scanner codes and bank accounts shared by the scammers. Between September 24 and December 3, he ended up sending a total of ₹33.1 lakh.

When he later requested a refund of his investment and promised returns, the scammers demanded additional payments, claiming he needed to pay a “service tax” first. Even after he paid a small amount, no money was returned, and the scammers continued pressuring him for more.

A case has been registered at the CEN Crime Police Station.

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