HDK demands Rs 25 crore from MLC aspirant: CD raises storm

Bangalore, Jul 6: A CD purportedly showing JD?(S) leader H?D?Kumaraswamy telling his party workers that each of the party MLA was demanding Rs one crore for exercising his/her franchise in the Legislative Council elections, surfaced on Saturday. The JD(S) won one seat in the recently held Council polls.

The reported conversation took place between Kumaraswamy and the supporters of JD?(S) leader Vijugoud Patil before the elections.

Patil is from Babaleshwar of Bijapur district. His followers had met former chief minister Kumaraswamy seeking ticket to their leader. They had met him under the banner of Vijugoud Patil Abhimana Balaga'.

The conversation that purportedly took place was released as a CD to media houses on Saturday, by the Abhimana Balaga. The veracity of the 31-minutes audio CD was not confirmed.

During the conversation, when the followers of Patil insisted that ticket should be given to him, a voice resembling that of Kumaraswamy was heard saying, “I am ready. But voters are MLAs. What can I do if they do not vote?

Our MLAs have put forth a demand that each of them be paid Rs one crore by the contestants. We will get only one seat. Trading is happening.”

He further said that his party legislators have been saying that they had taken loan and hence they need money. Each of them are demanding Rs one crore from the contestants to the Rajya Sabha and the Council elections.

“Those who have made money when we were in power for 40 months are also demanding money. They have formed a group and demanding money,” he was heard saying.

When the associates argued that Patil enjoyed the support of pontiffs of North Karnataka, Kumaraswamy was heard losing temper and said, “I respect swamijis. But not a single swamiji has praised our work. No swamiji has brought us even 50 votes. We have to listen to our legislators.”

When the followers realise that it is not possible to field Patil, they, sarcastically say, “We will also give Rs 40 crore. All voters will pool in money.” Then Kumaraswamy was heard saying Rs 25 crore would do. But the supporters offered Rs 10 crore, according to the contents of the CD.

Kumaraswamy is also heard saying that those who reaped benefits from him were trying to make money in the Council 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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