Muslims will get representation in UP’s BJP govt: Venkaiah Naidu

March 13, 2017

New Delhi, Mar 13: Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said on Sunday that Muslims will get representation in the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh even though the party did not field any candidate from the community in the recent Assembly elections in the state.

The minister said in an interview to Hindustan Times - “If (a Muslim) MLA is not there, an MLC (member of legislative council) will be there… there will be Muslim representatives in the government."

On BJP not fielding any Muslim candidate in UP, he said, "It was a weakness, not a mistake. We could not find suitable candidates confident of winning; whom the party thought could win.”

At the same time, Naidu added that a section of Muslims had supported the BJP in the elections.

"Because of the triple talaq issue, Muslim women, especially younger women, voted for us,” he told a newspaper.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, after accepting felicitations from party leaders and supporters at BJP headquarters, had said that he saw the election results, particularly in UP, as the "foundation of the new India".

He had added that the BJP-led dispensation would take everybody along as "in democracy governments are formed with a majority but run with consensus".

Noting that the government had no right to discriminate against anybody, PM Modi had said, "This government is of those who have voted for it and also those who have not. Of those who have walked along, and also of those who have not."

"Everybody will join in the making of a new India," he had further said.

Driven by the 'Modi wave', the BJP on March 11 stormed to power in UP after 14 years, securing three-fourths majority and demolishing rivals SP- Congress and BSP in a keenly-contested Assembly polls.

Showing astonishing performance, the BJP got 312 seats in the 403-member Assembly. Its allies Apna Dal(S) and SBSP bagged nine seats and four seats, respectively, taking the total tally of the combine to 325.

On the other hand, the SP won 47 seats while its ally the Congress got 7 seats. The BSP won just 19 seats, finishing a dismal third.

Significantly, the Congress lost all the four Assembly seats in Amethi district, the pocket borough of Nehru-Gandhi family, with BJP bagging three of them.

The BJP-led alliance swept all the eight Assembly segments falling under PM Modi's Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi.

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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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