If not horse, is Cong indulging in donkey trading, wonders Gowda

Bengaluru, Jun 9: Taking exception to the Congress' denial of horse trading in the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections, former prime minister and JD(S) president H D Deve Gowda wondered if the party is then indulging in donkey trading'.

Addressing reporters here on Wednesday, Gowda made a scathing attack on the Congress and the BJP for trying to upset his party's prospects in the elections.

“The Congress' third candidate K C Ramamurthy has only 32 votes. But he is still in the fray. If this is not horse trading, then is this donkey trading?” he remarked.

He did not even spare the Election Commission of India. “Isn't the Election Commission aware of the horse trading? Why is it then turning a blind eye to it, instead of taking action?” he said and demanded that the Rajya Sabha polls either be countermanded or suspended.

Stating that he was upset and pained by the political developments in the last two weeks, Gowda said that no matter what, he would fight for the survival of his party. “It is not easy to finish off this father-son party,” he said.

He also mentioned that he has been receiving letters and messages on WhatsApp and Facebook from JD(S) workers who are wondering why the party has not taken action against rebel leaders. “They have even stated that I have made a big mistake by not having taken action for this long. But I would like to see who will indulge in cross voting on the day of the poll and then initiate disciplinary action against them. A decision will be taken during a meeting of all the leaders on June 12,” he said.

Gowda said the horse trading began when his party MLA from Chamarajpet B?Z Zameer Ahmed Khan approached the Congress high command. He said that only Khan and Nagamangala MLA N Cheluvarayaswamy have indulged in anti-party activities and suitable action will be taken against them.

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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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