Don't promise Congress tickets to anyone, high command tells Karnataka unit

DHNS
August 22, 2017

New Delhi, Aug 22: The Congress high command has instructed the Karnataka unit not to promise the party ticket to anyone, including the seven rebel MLAs of the JD(S), for the next year’s Assembly elections. The party is planning to field many new faces.

The MLAs met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on August 16 and expressed their willingness to join the Congress. They claimed that the Congress high command had promised them party tickets, but a senior leader said no such assurance was given.

During their meeting with Rahul, where Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and KPCC president G Parameshwara were also present, the Gandhi scion said their “interests” would be protected. That does not mean they will get the party ticket, the leader said.

The Congress is wary of giving tickets to defectors from other parties as that could alienate its loyal workers. Many in the Congress are unhappy with the party for giving “too much importance” to newcomers. Promising tickets to the JD(S) defectors would upset the rank and file, the leader said.

As winning the Assembly elections has become a matter of prestige, the Congress will give the ticket purely on the basis of an aspirant’s winnability. It plans to conduct a survey in all constituencies to gauge the popularity of each aspirant.

Recently, some Congress leaders from Karnataka urged the high command against giving a “free hand” to the state unit in finalising the candidates. They want the selection of candidates to be a “broad-based” exercise to ensure adequate representation of different castes and regions. They expressed the apprehension that a few politicians in the state could “hijack” the selection process. They want wider consultation before the tickets are issued.

Their main worry is that many former JD(S) leaders, whom the chief minister welcomed into the Congress, would be favoured. They have been complaining to the high command for long that Siddaramaiah always gives importance to his erstwhile colleagues in the Janata Parivar.

Comments

Santhosh
 - 
Tuesday, 22 Aug 2017

Let siddaramiah dig his own grave by trying to move close to high command he is severing connection from his own party men who do not hesitate to desert him on the D day.

Nirmal
 - 
Tuesday, 22 Aug 2017

Hopeless CM in the history of KA

Vishal
 - 
Tuesday, 22 Aug 2017

IT ALL DEPENDS ON TRENDs... ELECTIONS ARE NOT TAKING PLACE NOW ONLY. NO USE OF COMMENTS AND BARKING like anything!!

Sridhara
 - 
Tuesday, 22 Aug 2017

Every now and then, if not constantly, the question as to what is the meaning of joining a political party and what it is to admit a person into the party, and what it is to get a party election ticket becomes important. A political party is generally understood to augment and provide a storehouse of fit persons to get elected and become members of government and legislatures, to undertake responsibility in policy making, #Laws, and #Governance, all with transparency and accountability. To sustain the systems and subsystems in various ways, mutually overlapping and independent ways.

Despite this broad theoretical intention/position, the foremost desire/intention on the part of members is to get into positions of power, to wield hegemonic power and be always in limelight,to perpetuate oneself indefinitely; and dispense favours and to bale out supporters in the event of infractions, crimes and misdemeanours, serious as well as otherwise. But considerations of real lasting public good are only held incidental;anyway, people are doing things to eke out their personal livelihood and general good may come out and of course the system is in place and is traditional and does not require de novo initiation. Despite ethical, moral, public good undertones built into the idea of membership of political parties, it has become largely a profession to garner wealth, and a niche for living, primarily for oneself and if possible for one's family and other legatees. Criteria for ticket distribution, or for its assurance or hope 

Anand
 - 
Tuesday, 22 Aug 2017

Good decision by Congress , lesson for Seven.... !

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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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News Network
December 15,2025

Udupi, Dec 15: What was meant to be a post-pilgrimage gathering turned tragic in Padukere village of Brahmavar taluk, Udupi district, late Sunday night, when a clash among youths escalated into a fatal assault, leaving one man dead.

The victim has been identified as 30-year-old Santosh Mogaveera, a resident of Padukere.

According to preliminary information, the incident took place during a late-night drinking party involving a group of local youths who had recently returned after completing their pilgrimage to the Sabarimala shrine. An argument reportedly broke out among the group and soon escalated into a violent confrontation.

During the ensuing brawl, Santosh Mogaveera was allegedly assaulted and collapsed at the spot after sustaining serious injuries. He was rushed by local residents to a private hospital in Brahmavar, where doctors declared him dead.

On receiving information, senior police officials, including Brahmavar Circle Inspector Gopikrishna, Kota Police Sub-Inspector Praveen Kumar T, Station ASI Manthesh Jabagoudar, and head constables Pradeep and Ashok, visited the spot and conducted an inspection.

Police have taken four youths into custody in connection with the incident. A case has been registered at the Kota police station, and further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact sequence of events leading to the death.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

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.

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