Congress in Karnataka gears up for early LS polls; to revamp district, block-level committees

News Network

July 22, 2018

Bengaluru, Jul 22: Expecting early Lok Sabha polls by December, Congress in Karnataka has said it has begun preparations for the elections that it claimed would install a "non-BJP" Government at the Centre. In the run-up to the polls, Congress said it has decided to re-organise the party from grassroots to pradesh congress committee level and revamp its district and block committees next month.

Top State leaders of the party on Saturday held a meeting here and decided to reorganise the committees based on reports at the district level. DCCs have been asked to submit a report to the party before August 15. It was decided to give more prominence to active and younger leaders in both committees.

The meeting attended by Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao and vice-president Eshwar Khandre, and AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal discussed pros and cons of alliance with the JD(S) in the general elections. Both parties have agreed to fight elections together.

“General elections may be advanced to December. We have to prepare for the eventuality. And, that will be the big focus for us to see that we win maximum number of LS seats in the State,” Mr. Rao said.

Speaking to presspersons after the meeting, he said that the BJP, which lost several byelections in the recent past, is expected to advance general elections to December. Top leaders would meet again for three days from August 3 to discuss parliamentary-wise candidates and strategy.

District-wise party conventions would be held in the next few months to galvanise the party workers ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The party would also field candidates for byelections to Ramanagaram and Jamakandi Assembly constituencies, Mr. Rao said.

The party would also identity candidates for contesting elections to urban local bodies, he said.

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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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