Nandan Nilekani to formally join Congress; ready to contest Lok Sabha polls

Bangalore, Jan 10: Ending speculation about his foray into politics, billionaire Infosys co-founder and head of Aadhar programme Nandan Nilekani today said he would join the Congress and was ready to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

"Certainly. I believe I should do something on the political front. If Congress gives me a ticket, I will contest (the Lok Sabha elections this year)," he told reporters, making public his stand on the issue for the first time.

58-year-old Nilekani, who is the Chairman of the Unique Identification Authority of India, said talks are going on about the constituency from which he should be contesting. He added that he would join Congress, which has been very "supportive" to him and his ideas.

The Congress is likely to field Nilekani from Bangalore South, a middle-class centric constituency, known for its antipathy towards Congress since the late 1970s, from where BJP General Secretary Ananth Kumar has won five times.

Nilekani said ordinary citizens should join politics and he would like to be part of this movement. "In India the biggest change can be brought about through politics and I want to be there," he said.

The country needs more good people from all fields including the corporate world, he said, adding politics is an instrument of change.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

Mangaluru: Youth arrested for misleading Instagram post targeting police

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

Comments