Cabinet expansion: Ramalinga Reddy's supporters protest outside Cong office

Agencies

December 22, 2018

Bengauru, Dec 22: Supporters of Congress MLA and former Karnataka minister Ramalinga Reddy on Saturday protested outside the Congress office demanding Reddy to be made a minister.

The protest came ahead of the expansion and reshuffle of Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy-led coalition government in Karnataka, which is expected to take place here on Saturday evening.

State Minister and Karnataka Prajnyavantha Janatha Party MLA R Shankar said that he would have to "reconsider" his support to the coalition "if the Congress did not grant him a place in the Cabinet."

"I am getting reports that I will be dropped from the list of Cabinet ministers, who are going to take the oath. When they did not call me for the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meeting, I realised that the Congress is ditching me. The BJP hasn't contacted me yet, but if my name is not considered for the Cabinet, I will rethink," he told ANI.

As per the reports, the Cabinet expansion-cum-reshuffle is being done keeping in view the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on December 5 had said that two MLAs from JD(S) and six MLAs from the Congress will be inducted in the Cabinet.

The two parties-Congress and Janata Dal-Secular-had formed a post-poll alliance in Karnataka in May this year to prevent the BJP from forming the government. Though the BJP formed the government under the leadership of BS Yeddyurappa, he resigned as the chief minister without seeking the trust of the House. BJP, despite being the single the single largest party, had failed to manage the magic figure in the 224-member House with an effective strength of 221.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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