JD(S) MLAs Zameer, Ansari support Cong candidates in Hebbal, Devadurga

Bengaluru, Feb 8: Disgruntled JD(S) MLAs B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan (Chamarajpet) and Iqbal Ansari (Gangavati) are learnt to have extended their indirect support to the Congress candidates in the byelections to Hebbal and Devadurga Assembly constituencies.

Sources in the party said the MLAs have sent out a message to their followers and Muslim leaders in these constituencies to work for the Congress. Khan is upset with the JD(S) for fielding a Muslim in Hebbal. He is of the view that Muslim votes would get divided between the Congress and the JD(S) and the BJP might benefit from it, sources added.

In Hebbal, the Congress has fielded C K Abdul Rahaman Sharief, grandson of senior leader C K Jaffer Sharief. Ismail Shariff Nana is the JD(S) candidate. In Devadurga, the Congress has fielded Rajshekar, while the JD(S) candidate is Karemma. The BJP has fielded Y A Narayanaswamy in Hebbal and Shivanagouda in Devadurga.

In the 2013 Assembly elections, C K Abdul Rahaman Sharief, who was the Congress candidate, lost by a narrow margin to the BJP’s Jagadish Kumar. Division of Muslim votes was said to be one of the reasons for the Congress’ defeat. The byelection in Hebbal was necessitated by the death of Jagadish Kumar a few months ago.

Campaign hots up

Campaign for the byelections to the Hebbal seat is hotting up with senior leaders of the three parties campaigning for their candidates. Union ministers Ananth Kumar and D V Sadananada Gowda campaigned in Sanjaynagar and Radhakrishna Temple wards on Sunday. Ananth Kumar conducted a roadshow, while Gowda took out a motorcycle rally.

Congress leader B K Hariprasad, ministers Ramalinga Reddy and Dinesh Gundu Rao campaigned for the party candidate in Ganganagar and Vishwanatha Nagenahalli wards. JD(S) leader H D Deve Gowda campaigned in RT Nagar.

Cong leaders vie for Council seats

Over half-a-dozen candidates, including former MP Ramya and chairperson of the Jawahar Bal Bhavan Society Bhavana are said to be in the race for becoming nominated as MLCs. Currently, two seats are vacant and the State Cabinet has
already authorised Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to select names for the nominations. Writers Marulasiddappa, Javare Gowda and Govinda Rao are also in the race,
sources said.

The chief minister is likely to take a decision on the names after the zilla and taluk panchayat elections, sources added.

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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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