Disgruntled Cong MLAs in Karnataka mount pressure

Agencies

June 14, 2018

Bengaluru, Jun 14: Ignoring the patch-up efforts by the leadership to end disquiet within Karnataka Congress over denial of ministerial berths, disgruntled legislators continued to mount pressure on the party to address their grievances.

According to party sources, some Congress MLAs are likely to meet tomorrow under the leadership of senior legislator and former minister M B Patil to discuss their further course of action.

They are also likely to demand a second round of cabinet expansion soon.

Discontent within the Congress had surfaced soon after the cabinet expansion on June 6, with disgruntled MLAs holding separate meetings and expressing displeasure openly over being left out of the ministry.

In an attempt to quell the brewing discontent, Patil, who has emerged as the leader of a group of dissident MLAs, was recently called to Delhi where he met Congress President Rahul Gandhi.

Also, AICC secretaries Manickam Tagore and Vishnunath in the last two days have met several party MLAs who have been holding meetings under the leadership of another senior Congress leader and former minister H K Patil, and have heard their grievances.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, who is in the city today to attend Congress-JD(S) coalition Coordination and Monitoring Committee meeting, met several upset MLAs, including H K Patil, Tanveer Sait and Shivalli among others, in an effort to pacify them.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, H K Patil said, Venugopal has assured him a meeting with Rahul Gandhi.

Responding to a question, he said, "whatever responsibility party gives me, recognising me as an honest worker of the party, I'm ready to take it up. I believe that our high command and people of the state know my ability," he added.

Stating that the party has ignored providing a leadership to the Muslim community, Sait, a former minister after meeting Venugopal, expressed unhappiness over Congress giving ministership to other Muslim MLAs U T Khader and Zameer Ahmed Khan and questioned their ability in providing leadership to the community.

He also alleged that Zameer Ahmed Khan, who joined Congress from JD(S) ahead of the assembly polls had conspired against him during the state assembly elections.

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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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