AAP defeats BJP in Gujarat, Congress clinches Kerala seat in high-stakes bypolls

News Network
June 23, 2025

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New Delhi, June 23: In a major political upset, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has defeated the BJP in Visavadar, Gujarat, while the Congress has reclaimed its stronghold in Nilambur, Kerala, in the latest round of Assembly bypolls across the country.

Gujarat: AAP's Big Comeback in Modi's Home State

In a symbolic victory, AAP candidate Gopal Italia won the Visavadar by-election by over 17,500 votes, dealing a blow to the BJP in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state. This seat was originally won by AAP in 2022, but the party lost it after its MLA Bhupendra Bhayani defected to the BJP.

Though Bhayani didn’t contest this time, the BJP fielded Kirit Patel, hoping to reclaim the seat it hasn't held since 2007. However, Patel failed to make a mark. Celebrating the win, AAP Gujarat chief Isudan Gadhvi declared, “If there is any party that can defeat the BJP, it is AAP… we are going to form the government in 2027.”

Meanwhile, the BJP retained the Kadi seat, with Rajendra Chavda defeating the Congress' Ramesh Chavda by nearly 40,000 votes.

Kerala: Congress Reclaims Nilambur After a Decade

In Nilambur, Aryadan Shoukath, son of former Congress veteran Aryadan Mohammed, secured victory for the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) by defeating CPI(M)'s M Swaraj with a margin of over 11,000 votes.

This win marks the Congress' return to a seat it last held in 2011 and provides a morale boost ahead of the 2026 Kerala Assembly elections. The seat became vacant after independent MLA PV Anvar, who had won in 2016 and 2021, stepped down following his party’s merger with the Trinamool Congress.

Importantly, Nilambur falls within the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, currently represented by Priyanka Gandhi, further raising the political significance of the Congress’ win.

Other Key Results

•    In Punjab, AAP retained Ludhiana West, with Sanjay Arora defeating Congress’ Bharat Ashu by over 10,000 votes. The seat was vacated after the death of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi.

•    In West Bengal, the ruling Trinamool Congress is set to retain Kaliganj, where Alifa Ahmed, daughter of the late MLA Nasiruddin Ahmed, is leading the BJP’s Ashish Ghosh by over 50,000 votes. The constituency has a 54% Muslim population, a factor likely to influence the 2026 election dynamics.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
November 21,2025

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An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday, November 21, afternoon during its aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, plunging to the ground at around 2:10 pm local time while performing a manoeuvre before thousands of spectators.

The IAF confirmed the incident, stating that a Tejas aircraft participating in the show had crashed and that further details were being gathered. An Air Force spokesperson said more information would be shared after initial assessments.

The crash sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport, causing panic among visitors, including families and children who had gathered to watch the display. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, and officials have not released information on casualties or damage so far.

The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed for versatility, it is capable of offensive air support, close combat, ground attack missions and maritime operations. The aircraft family includes single-seat fighters and twin-seat trainers for both the Air Force and Navy.

HAL describes the latest version, the LCA Mk1A, as the most advanced in the series, featuring an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar-warning and self-protection jamming, smart multifunction displays, a digital map generator, a combined interrogator–transponder system and a modern radio altimeter. These enhancements significantly improve the aircraft’s combat capability and survivability.

Further updates from IAF and UAE authorities are awaited.

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coastaldigest.com news network
November 29,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 29: Around 12,500 healthcare students from Medical, Dental, AYUSH, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy and Allied Health Sciences colleges of Dakshina Kannada, affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), took part in a massive walkathon to promote awareness on Organ Donation and Nasha Mukth Bharat.

The inaugural ceremony was held at Mangala Stadium. Dr Bhagavan B C, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS, delivered the welcome address. The walkathon was flagged off by Shri U T Khader, Hon’ble Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and presided over by Shri Dinesh Gundu Rao, Hon’ble Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Dakshina Kannada District In-charge. Dakshina Kannada MP Shri Brijesh Chowta also addressed the students.

Music director Guru Kiran, MLA Dr Bharat Shetty (Mangalore North), Police Commissioner Shri Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Shri Manjunath Bhandary and Shri Harish Kumar were among those present.

Institution heads including Dr Haji U K Monu (Kanachur Colleges), Dr Shantharam Shetty (Tejaswini College), Dr Bhaskar Shetty (City Group of Colleges), Mr Abdul Rahiman (Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences), and the District Health Officer, Mangalore, also participated.

The vote of thanks was delivered by Prof U T Ifthikar Fareed, Syndicate Member, RGUHS.

The event was organised by Dr U T Ifthikar Ali and Dr Shiva Sharan (Syndicate Members), Prof Vaishali (Senate Member), Prof Mohammad Suhail (Chairman, BOS Physiotherapy), Dr Sharan Shetty (Former Senate Member), along with principals and faculty of various colleges.

Students marched from Mangala Stadium to Karavali Grounds via MCC and Lalbagh signal. The event set a record as one of the largest gatherings of healthcare students for a social cause in the RGUHS Dakshina Kannada Zone.

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