LS poll seat sharing: JDS likely to get 8 seats including one in coastal Karnataka

News Network

March 9, 2019

Bengaluru, Mar 9: After a prolonged bargain with Congress leaders, HD Deve Gowda led Janata Dal (Secular) has reportedly decided to support candidates of the national party in 20 segments and field own candidates only in eight segments in Karnataka in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The likely constituencies where the JD(S) would contest are Mandya, Shivamogga, Hassan, Bengaluru North, Vijayapura, Tumakuru, Uttara Kannada (coastal Karnataka), and Chickballapur.

On the other hand, the Congress has reportedly promised the JD(S) to support it in one constituency each in Maharashtra and Kerala.

Sources in the Congress and the JD(S) said that seat-sharing formula would be announced after a screening committee meeting scheduled in New Delhi on Monday.

JD(S) supremo H.D. Deve Gowda and Congress president Rahul Gandhi have held a first round of meeting in Delhi. A section of the Congress leaders have reportedly expressed their views against conceding 10 seats to the JD(S) in the State.

Congress leaders are expected to talk about seat-sharing formula with Mr. Gandhi, who will launch the party’s election campaign in the State at the ‘Parivartana Rally’ in Haveri on Saturday.

Like the BJP, which started its poll campaign through a mega rally in Hubballi addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress too has chosen a place in north Karnataka to launch its campaign.

Hectic preparations were under way at Municipal High School Ground in Haveri on Friday, where people of the Haveri Lok Sabha constituency that also includes Gadag district, will congregate on Saturday.

On Friday, KPCC president Dinesh Gundu Rao, accompanied by district in-charge Minister B.Z. Zameer Ahmed and others, reviewed the arrangements.

Mr. Rao said along with Mr. Gandhi, AICC general secretary K.C. Venugopal, senior leaders from the State, including the former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, and Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara would be participating. Mr. Rao said around 1.5 lakh people were expected to participate in the rally.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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