Karnataka gearing up for ULB polls; Cong-JD(S) undecided on alliance

News Network

August 3, 2018

Bengaluru, Aug 3: Karnataka is set to hold urban local body elections on August 29, the result of which is expected to give some indication to political parties of the mood of the electorate and accelerate their activities ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

On Thursday, the Ministers in the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) coalition government informally discussed the pros and cons of a possible alliance between the two parties in the ULB polls. However, leaders of both the parties remained undecided on joining hands for the polls.

The Congress, which is the majority stakeholder in the coalition, is yet to take a call on fighting the polls alongside the JD(S). “We will take a decision in a couple of days after discussing with senior leaders,” Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president Dinesh Gundu Rao said.

Forging an alliance at the local level will not be easy, Rao admitted. “It really depends on local conditions,” he said. “Our alliance with the JD(S) is for the Lok Sabha polls. Even during the earlier alliance when Dharam Singh was chief minister, we did not have an alliance for the ULB polls.”

A section of Congress leaders has expressed fear that fighting the ULB elections separately may adversely impact poll prospects of the party’s candidates in the Lok Sabha elections.

The JD(S), a regional party, has a dominant presence in Ramanagara, Mandya and Hassan districts and has a straight contest with the Congress in several districts including Chamarajanagar, Chikkaballapur, Kolar and Bengaluru Rural.

The JD(S) leaders have indicated already that they want to go it alone in the polls.

Interestingly, the regional party has an alliance with the BJP in some ULBs. For instance, in Tumakuru and Mysuru city corporations, the two parties have a tie-up. In Mysuru city corporation, the JD(S) joined hands with the BJP and defeated the Congress candidate in the mayoral elections a few months ago.

When the 208 ULB went to polls in 2013, the Congress gained the upper hand securing 1,960 of the 4,976 seats, which was over 39% of the total. The BJP and the JD(S) secured 905 each.

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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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