B L Santosh managed to field his aides as BJP candidates across Karnataka: Jagadish Shettar

News Network
April 18, 2023

Hubballi, Apr 18: A day after the BJP named State BJP general secretary Mahesh Tenginkai as its candidate from Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who is now the Congress candidate after quitting the BJP, said on Tuesday that BJP national general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh is responsible for the BJP denying him (Shettar) the ticket.

Charging that Santosh managed to field his aides as BJP candidates across the state including his 'blue-eyed boy' Tenginkai, Shettar said Santosh and other leaders should have thought about the damage to be caused to the party's foundation if seniors like him (Shettar) who built the party are disturbed.

"I don't know why BJP's top leaders have belief in Santosh who was a failure when appointed as BJP's poll in-charge in different states. For him, the individual has become important and not the party. This will spoil BJP, and the ground reality was not conveyed to No 1 and No 2 (Narendra Modi and Amit Shah) in that party," Shettar said.

"Whispering campaign against me started several months back. I informed J P Nadda, Dharmendra Pradhan, and others about it, but they did not take it seriously. B S Yediyurappa was also helpless," he noted.

There are several examples (like Ramdas in Mysuru) of Santosh managing to field his followers replacing winnable candidates. This is going to spoil the BJP, Shettar observed.

He also said Union Minister Pralhad Joshi and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai should have presented a strong case in favour of him before the high command instead of giving mere assurances.

"State BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel is also Santosh's man. I was the senior most leader in BJP after B S Yediyurappa and K S Eshwarappa. Probably, that may be the reason to deny the ticket to me to prevent me from becoming an MLA. I just wanted a respectful exit from politics by becoming an MLA just for six months, but I was humiliated," he said, adding that State BJP is being controlled by only a few persons.

Opining that denial of a ticket to him would have an impact on neighbouring districts and across the state, Shettar said his task is to bring victory for Congress and to get it a clear majority.

"I am not power hungry and this would probably be my last election. As I want a respectful exit, I joined the Congress, and asked them to treat me with respect," he said.

"I am pained not just because of ticket denial, but because I was humiliated in BJP for several months. Floodgates are opened now," Shettar said.

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News Network
November 21,2025

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Local authorities say the Israeli military has expanded the so-called “yellow line” truce demarcation in Gaza City and repositioned its forces deeper into the territory in violation of a ceasefire agreement that came into force on October 10, besieging dozens of Palestinian families.

Gaza’s Government Media Office announced in a statement on Thursday that Israeli forces widened the boundary by shifting the markers, and advanced roughly 300 meters (984 feet) into the neighborhoods of Ash-Shaaf, An-Nazzaz and Baghdad Street.

The move pushed further into civilian areas, trapping families who were unable to flee as tanks rolled forward, it added.

“The fate of many of these families remains unknown amidst the shelling that targeted the area,” the office said, adding that the expansion of the yellow line shows a “blatant disregard” for the ceasefire deal.

On Friday, sources said the Israeli military carried out continued air and artillery strikes inside the so-called “yellow line” east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the reports, Israeli warplanes and tanks targeted areas within the zone. One Palestinian was reported killed and several others wounded in the strikes, the sources said.

The fresh aggression came only a day after 25 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City and Khan Younis on Wednesday.

The media office reported that Israel has consistently violated the truce deal since its implementation last month, with near-daily attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings.

The office said over 400 violations have been documented. These breaches have resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Palestinians and left hundreds injured.

The Government Media Office in Gaza urged the guarantors of the ceasefire — the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — to take swift action to halt the ongoing violations and facilitate the delivery of food, shelter materials, medical aid, and infrastructure equipment.

The so-called “yellow line,” set out in the agreement between Israel and Hamas resistance movement, refers to a non-physical partition where the Israeli military repositioned itself when the truce deal took effect.

It has allowed Israel, which routinely fires at Palestinians who approach the line, to retain control over more than half of the Gaza Strip.

International bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, and other rights groups, have concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

In the attacks in Gaza since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 69,546 people and injured 170,833 others, leveling large swaths of the territory and displacing almost all of the population. 

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
November 27,2025

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Bengaluru: The Vokkaligara Sangha on Thursday issued a stern warning to the Congress, saying the party could face serious electoral repercussions if Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar is not appointed as Chief Minister.

The warning follows the public backing of Shivakumar’s chief ministerial ambition by top Vokkaliga pontiff Nirmalanandanatha Swami, who urged the Congress high command to honor his claim.

“The community supported Congress in the 2023 Assembly elections only because Shivakumar had a real chance to become CM. If he is cheated, we’ll teach the party a big lesson,” said newly elected Sangha president L. Srinivas. He added that Vokkaligas would organize protests under the guidance of community leaders.

General Secretary C.G. Gangadhar pointed out that Congress won more seats in the Vokkaliga-dominated Old Mysuru region due to Shivakumar’s influence, adding, “If Congress wants to retain power, Shivakumar should be made the CM.”

Outgoing president Kenchappa Gowda emphasized Shivakumar’s contribution to Congress’ victory. “Our community voted for Congress thinking he would become CM. Siddaramaiah has also served the party well, but Shivakumar should now be given a chance,” he said.

Former general-secretary Konappa Reddy appealed to Sonia and Rahul Gandhi to recognize Shivakumar’s loyalty and service, saying, “Congress is known to keep its promises. We hope it won’t break the promise made to him.”

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