DKS, Param, Sidd in race for the post of LoP

Agencies

August 3, 2019

Bengaluru, Aug 2: An internal fight is going on within the Congress party in Karnataka over the Leader of Opposition post in the state Assembly, said a senior Congress leader on condition of anonymity.

Senior party leaders Siddaramaiah, G. Parameshwara and DK Shivakumar are said to be playing their cards with central leaders to be the opposition leader in the Assembly.

Siddaramaiah, as Chief Minister has completed a full term of five years and has a good name among the people of the state, the senior Congress leader said.

But, on the other side former Deputy Chief Minister Parameshwara and Shivakumar are too in race for the post.

While Karnataka Congress is gearing up to fight by-polls if all disqualified MLAs fail to get their post in the Supreme Court, on the other side all three senior Congress leaders are trying all their options to get the post of Leader of Opposition.

In the last meeting of the party, all state congress leaders including Veerappa Moily, Parameshwara, Dinesh Gundu Rao, Rahman Khan, Siddaramaiah, KH Muniyappa, HK Patil, DK Shivakumar, HC Mahadevappa, Ramalinga Reddy participated and gave their opinion for Opposition leader's post.

Most of the leaders of the party want Siddaramaiah as the Leader of Opposition as he is strong and hails knowledge of finance and other issues of the state, a party leader said.

Shivakumar is indirectly focusing to be the opposition leader, while Parameshwara, who led the party at the time of two state legislative elections, is also very much keen to get the post, the party leader added.

Congress workers are keen to see Siddaramaiah as opposition leader.

Fifteen disqualified Congress-JD(S)MLAs had on Thursday moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of erstwhile Karnataka Speaker KR Ramesh Kumar's order disqualifying them for the term of the present Assembly.

The petition, filed through advocate Shubhranshu Padhi, also sought setting aside of the Ramesh's July 28 order rejecting their resignations.

On July 29, two Congress MLAs had approached the court against Ramesh's decision.

Ramesh had disqualified 14 MLAs from the Assembly on July 28. Three rebel MLAs were disqualified on July 25.

All the disqualified MLAs cannot contest elections until the expiry of the term of the 15th Legislative Assembly.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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