BJP will get clear majority in Karnataka; JD(S) support no need: Goyal

News Network

January 18, 2018

Ruled out any sort of electoral alliance with the JD(S) ahead of looming assembly polls, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who is the BJP election in-charge of the state on Thursday said that the saffron party would get clear majority.

"The BJP will come to power on its own by winning 150 seats in the polls. We will not have any sort of alliance with any party, particularly the JD(S)," Goyal said, responding to queries from reporters about his recent meeting with JD(S) national president and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda in New Delhi.

Both the BJP and the Congress are trying to be on good terms with the JD(S) to keep a channel open for talks with the party in case there is a hung Assembly after the election. Most of the pre-poll surveys till date have predicted that no party will get a majority in the elections.

Goyal said Gowda had sought an appointment with him to discuss railway projects in Hassan, which he represents in the Lok Sabha.

"Gowda is a former prime minister and much elder to me. Instead of he calling on me, I said I will go and meet him. The party has taught us this culture and tradition," Goyal said.

He said reporters saw him entering Gowda's residence, triggering political speculations. "Nothing much should be read into the meeting. I will even visit former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, if he wants to meet me," Goyal said.

He said the JD(S) can never come to power in the state. "Only a few leaders will remain in the party. Hundreds of JD(S) workers will join the BJP soon," Goyal said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Mangaluru NRI returning from Saudi Arabia arrested over Instagram post

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

Comments