Will contest next Assembly polls from Badami: Siddaramaiah

News Network
July 6, 2021

Bengaluru, July 6: Amid continued speculation about the constituency from where he will contest the 2023 assembly polls, senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday reaffirmed he will contest from the Badami segment that he currently represents.

Heaping praise on the people of Badami for accepting him, who had come from Mysuru and electing as their MLA in the 2018 polls, the former Chief Minister said he will always be indebted to them.

"You have come here asking me to contest the next election from Badami..have I ever said that I will not contest from Badami? It is true that people are inviting me to contest from other constituencies like Koppal, Chamarajpet, Kolar, like you out of respect," Siddaramaiah said.

Addressing his followers and party workers, who had come from Badami, he said the election is still one year and ten months away and he has already said in the state assembly, about contesting the next polls from Badami and won't go back on it.

"I'm the legislator from Badami constituency and as per the wish expressed by all of you and the people I will once again contest from Badami," he declared, amid cheers of his supporters, who even called him the next Chief Minister.

There have been speculations within the party for some time now that the leader of the opposition, who represents Badami in north Karnataka, may return to his home turf of the old Mysuru region or somewhere in Bengaluru for the next general election.

His loyalist and Chamarajpet legislator B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan, who has been openly projecting him as CM face for the next assembly polls causing some differences within the party, has even offered to vacate the constituency for the Congress Legislature Party leader.

Pointing out that Zameer Ahmed Khan has been asking him to contest from his Chamarajpet constituency in Bengaluru, as it is closer, Siddaramaiah maintained that he has never said he will contest from Chamarajpet or Kolar or Koppal.

"I had come from Mysuru, you the people of Badami have accepted and elected me. With what margin I won is not the question, despite me visiting Badami only twice ahead of elections, you elected me.. can I contest from elsewhere without asking you?" he said.

Siddarmaiah has already announced that he will not contest again from the Chamundeshwari assembly constituency in Mysuru, where he had tasted defeat during the May 2018 assembly polls.

Siddarmaiah, the then sitting Chief Minister, had lost in Chamundeshwari to JD(S) G T Deve Gowda by a margin of over 36,042 votes.

He, however, won Badami, the other constituency from where he had contested, defeating BJPs Sriramulu by a margin of just 1,696 votes.

Noting that he had to face defeat in Chamundeshwari in Mysuru from where he had won five times, as some political leaders got together against him out of malice, Siddaramaiah said, it is the people of Badami who trusted him, though he had come from elsewhere and got him elected.

"I can't forget the people of Badami.How much ever I thank you it will be less," he said, pointing out that the only disadvantage is he cannot meet the people of the constituency on a daily basis as he will have to attend the duties of the Leader of Opposition and that of the party in Bengaluru and other parts of the state. When his supporters cried out there were no shortcomings despite his absence and they want him as their legislator again, Siddaramaiah said, "you the people of Badami have never complained, but there should not be any dereliction of duty from my side.I have done whatever I can and will continue to do whatever needs to be done for the constituency." Making his debut in the Assembly in 1983, Siddaramaiah had got elected from Chamundeshwari on a Lok Dal Party ticket.He has won five times from this constituency and tasted defeat thrice.

After neighbouring Varuna became a constituency in 2008 following delimitation, Siddarmaiah represented it till he vacated the seat for his son Dr Yatindra in the 2018 assembly polls last year and went back to his old constituency of Camundeshwari.

Ahead of the May 2018 assembly polls, Siddaramaiah had said it would "most likely" be his last election.

Earlier, during the 2013 assembly polls too, he had said that it was his last election and went on to become chief minister after the polls.

It is no secret that Siddaramaiah is nursing his ambition to become chief minister for a second term if the party wins the next assembly polls in 2023.

With State Congress President D K Shivakumar too having similar ambitions, it has triggered a game of one-upmanship between the two leaders.

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News Network
February 3,2026

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Kasaragod: An 18-year-old girl was stabbed to death at Thuminad in Manjeshwar panchayat on Monday, allegedly by her father following a domestic dispute. 

The victim has been identified as K U Mariyamath Jumaila. Her father, Umar Farooq, has been taken into police custody, Manjeshwar Station House Officer Inspector Ajith Kumar P said.

According to the police, Umar Farooq had been working in a West Asian country and returned home about three months ago. 

Family tensions reportedly escalated after his wife, Thahira (41), decided to seek a divorce and asked him to leave her life. Kasaragod district panchayat member Harshad Vorkady alleged that Umer was addicted to marijuana and frequently caused disturbances at home.

On Monday, Thahira asked Umar to come to her sister’s house in Thuminad to discuss the dispute. Jumaila accompanied her mother. 

Manjeshwar panchayat member Illiyas Thuminad said Umar arrived along with his brother, following which Thahira handed over gold ornaments and property documents to him and asked him to sever ties with her.

However, the police said a property dispute had been ongoing between Umar Farooq and his sister-in-law’s husband. During a heated argument, Umar allegedly attempted to attack the man with a sharp weapon. When Jumaila intervened to stop the assault, she was stabbed in the neck.

The teenager collapsed after bleeding profusely and was rushed to a private hospital in Mangaluru, where doctors declared her dead. Her body was later shifted to Mangalpady Taluk Hospital for post-mortem examination.

Jumaila was a former student of Sirajul Huda English Medium Higher Secondary School, Manjeshwar. 

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News Network
January 31,2026

Roy.jpg

Bengaluru: The shooting incident involving CJ Roy, founder of the Confident Group, has once again put the spotlight on a businessman whose life has swung between flamboyant global success and persistent controversy at home.

Though Roy’s business interests extended across continents, his roots lay firmly in Karnataka. An alumnus of Christ School in Bengaluru, he later moved to Tumakuru to pursue an engineering degree. Those familiar with his early years describe him as intensely ambitious, beginning his career as a salesman at a small electronics firm dealing in computers.

Roy’s entry into large-scale real estate came through the Crystal Group, where he worked closely with Latha Namboothiri and rose from manager to director. However, the launch of the Confident Group in 2005 was clouded by industry speculation. Insiders speak of a fallout involving alleged “benami” properties and claims of deception that ultimately led to his independent venture—an episode Roy spent years trying to distance himself from, according to associates.

A tale of two cities

Roy’s professional trajectory diverged sharply across geographies.

In Dubai, he built a reputation as a bold and efficient developer, completing massive luxury residential projects in record time—some reportedly within 11 months. His rapid project delivery and lavish lifestyle in the Emirates earned him admiration and visibility in the real estate sector.

In Bengaluru, however, his image remained far more fractured. Sources say Roy stayed away from the city for several years amid disputes over unpaid dues to vendors and suppliers. Several projects were allegedly stalled, with accusations of unfulfilled commitments to cement and steel suppliers continuing to follow him.

Roy’s return to Bengaluru’s business and social circles began around 2018, marked by a conscious attempt at rebranding. His appointment as Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic added diplomatic legitimacy, which he complemented with visible CSR initiatives, including ambulance donations and high-profile charity events.

Heavy police presence in Langford Town

Following the incident, police personnel from the Central division were deployed outside the Confident Group building in Langford Town, which also houses the Slovak Honorary Consulate in Bengaluru.

The otherwise busy premises near Hosur Road wore a deserted look on Friday, reflecting the shock and uncertainty that followed the tragedy.

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News Network
February 1,2026

Bengaluru, Feb 1: For travelers landing at Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), the sleek, wood-paneled curves of Terminal 2 promise a world-class welcome. But the famed “Garden City” charm quickly withers at the curb. As India’s aviation sector swells to record numbers—handling over 43 million passengers in Bengaluru alone this past year—the “last mile” has turned into a marathon of frustration.

The Bengaluru Logjam: Rules vs Reality

While the city awaits the 2027 completion of the Namma Metro Blue Line, the interim has been chaotic. Recent “decongestion” rules at Terminal 1 have pushed app-based cab pickups to distant parking zones, forcing weary passengers into a 20-minute walk with luggage.

“I landed after ten months away and felt like a stranger in my own city,” says Ruchitha Jain, a Koramangala resident. “My driver couldn’t find me, staff couldn’t guide me, and the so-called ‘Premium’ lane is just a fancy tax on convenience.”

•    The Cost of Distance: A 40-km cab ride can now easily cross ₹1,500, driven by demand pricing and airport surcharges.

•    The Bus Gap: While Vayu Vajra remains a lifeline, its ₹300–₹400 fare is often cited as the most expensive airport bus service in the country.

A National Pattern of Disconnect

The struggle is not unique to Karnataka. From Chennai’s coast to Hyderabad’s plateau, India’s airports tell a familiar story: brilliant runways, broken exits.

City:    Primary Issue   |    Recent Development

Bengaluru:    Cab pickup restrictions & distance  |    App-based taxis shifted to far parking zones; long walks and fare spikes reported

Chennai:    Multi-Level Parking (MLCP) hike  |    Passengers report 40-minute walks to reach cab pickup points

Hyderabad:    “Taxi mafia” & touting  |    Over 440 touting cases reported; security presence intensified

Mumbai:    Fare scams  |     Tourists charged ₹18,000 for just 400 metres, triggering police action

In Hyderabad, travelers continue to battle entrenched local groups that intimidate Uber and Ola drivers, pushing passengers toward overpriced private taxis. Chennai flyers, meanwhile, complain that reaching the designated pickup zones now takes longer than short-haul flights from cities like Coimbatore.

The ‘Budget Day’ Hope

As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presents the Union Budget 2026 today, the aviation sector is watching closely. With the government’s renewed emphasis on multimodal integration, there is cautious hope for funding toward seamless airport-metro-bus hubs.

The vision is clear: a future where planes, trains, and metros speak the same language. Until then, passengers at KIA—and airports across India—will continue to discover that the hardest part of flying isn’t the thousands of kilometres in the air, but the last few on the ground.

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