Cong fields Mansoor Ali Khan as 2nd candidate to checkmate JDS in RS polls

News Network
May 30, 2022

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Bengaluru, May 30: Congress today surprised BJP and JD(S) by fielding a second candidate for the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, forcing an election for a seat it does not have enough numbers to win.

The Congress has fielded former union minister Jairam Ramesh and Karnataka Congress general secretary Mansoor Ali Khan as its candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections. 

Four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka are up for grabs and a candidate needs 45 votes to win. Based on their strength in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP can win two seats and the Congress one. Elections are needed as incumbent MPs Nirmala Sitharaman (union finance minister), KC Ramamurthy (BJP) and Jairam Ramesh (Congress) are due for retirement. Also, the death of senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes vacated his seat.

The BJP has picked Sitharaman and actor-politician Jaggesh as its candidates for the two seats it can surely win.
The Congress’ move to field a second candidate could put the JD(S) in a quandary amid speculation that the regional party wants to field its former MP Kupendra Reddy as a candidate by using additional votes of the BJP. 

Both Ramesh and Khan filed their nomination papers in the presence of senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, UT Khader, RV Deshpande, HK Patil and others. 

“We have our own calculations,” Shivakumar, the KPCC president, told reporters on fielding Khan as the party’s second candidate. “We know that all the three parties have a shortage of votes. Last time, out of respect, we did not field a candidate against former prime minister HD Deve Gowda,” he said, hinting that the Congress’ move is aimed at checkmating the regional party. 

After electing two Rajya Sabha candidates, the BJP will be left with an additional 29 votes. The Congress will be left with 24 extra votes after electing Ramesh. The JD(S) has only 32 votes, which is insufficient to win a seat. 

According to sources, Congress’s plan is to see how the JD(S) will respond. If the regional party takes the BJP’s support, then Congress will attack the secular credentials of the JD(S).

“If they are truly secular, then let them vote for a young, educated Muslim candidate,” KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed said, adding that the Congress has not yet had talks with the JD(S).

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coastaldigest.com news network
November 29,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 29: Around 12,500 healthcare students from Medical, Dental, AYUSH, Pharmacy, Nursing, Physiotherapy and Allied Health Sciences colleges of Dakshina Kannada, affiliated to Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS), took part in a massive walkathon to promote awareness on Organ Donation and Nasha Mukth Bharat.

The inaugural ceremony was held at Mangala Stadium. Dr Bhagavan B C, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor of RGUHS, delivered the welcome address. The walkathon was flagged off by Shri U T Khader, Hon’ble Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, and presided over by Shri Dinesh Gundu Rao, Hon’ble Minister for Health, Family Welfare and Dakshina Kannada District In-charge. Dakshina Kannada MP Shri Brijesh Chowta also addressed the students.

Music director Guru Kiran, MLA Dr Bharat Shetty (Mangalore North), Police Commissioner Shri Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Shri Manjunath Bhandary and Shri Harish Kumar were among those present.

Institution heads including Dr Haji U K Monu (Kanachur Colleges), Dr Shantharam Shetty (Tejaswini College), Dr Bhaskar Shetty (City Group of Colleges), Mr Abdul Rahiman (Kanachur Institute of Medical Sciences), and the District Health Officer, Mangalore, also participated.

The vote of thanks was delivered by Prof U T Ifthikar Fareed, Syndicate Member, RGUHS.

The event was organised by Dr U T Ifthikar Ali and Dr Shiva Sharan (Syndicate Members), Prof Vaishali (Senate Member), Prof Mohammad Suhail (Chairman, BOS Physiotherapy), Dr Sharan Shetty (Former Senate Member), along with principals and faculty of various colleges.

Students marched from Mangala Stadium to Karavali Grounds via MCC and Lalbagh signal. The event set a record as one of the largest gatherings of healthcare students for a social cause in the RGUHS Dakshina Kannada Zone.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Udupi, Nov 22: The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has officially confirmed Narendra Modi’s visit to Udupi on November 28 and shared his detailed schedule with the Karnataka chief secretary.

According to the itinerary, the Prime Minister will land at Mangaluru International Airport from Delhi at 11:05 am and depart for Udupi by helicopter at 11:10 am. He is expected to arrive at the Adi Udupi helipad at 11:35 am.

The earlier plan for a roadshow has been cancelled. Instead, PM Modi will proceed directly to Sri Krishna Math at 12 pm, where he will have darshan of Sri Krishna and address participants of the Laksha Kanta Geetha Gayana event.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to depart from the Adi Udupi helipad at 1:35 pm, returning to Mangaluru Airport before leaving for Goa at 2 pm.

The state administration has been directed to make all necessary arrangements for the visit.

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News Network
November 21,2025

Bantwal: A domestic dispute appears to have led to a violent confrontation in BC Road area, where the owner of a textile shop was allegedly attacked with a knife by his wife on Wednesday evening.

Krishna Kumar Somayaji, the owner of Somayaji Textiles, sustained serious injuries in the incident and was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment. He is currently receiving care in the intensive care unit and is reported to have survived the assault, according to police.

The Bantwal Town police have registered a case against Somayaji's wife, Jyothi KT, who has since been taken into custody.

Police stated that the complainant, Namita, an employee at the shop, reported the sequence of events. She stated that around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the suspect entered the shop, wearing a burqa and disguised as a customer, before attacking Somayaji with a knife. The employee then transported the injured owner to a local hospital via an autorickshaw.

Superintendent of Police Arun K confirmed that an ongoing domestic dispute between Somayaji and his wife reportedly preceded the attack. Police noted that Jyothi KT had previously visited the shop and issued threats.

Based on the complaint, Bantwal Town police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Indian Arms Act-1959. An investigation into the incident is currently underway.

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