Corruption, autocracy, Hindutva led to BJP's downfall: Manor

Bangalore, Jun 5: Corruption, autocracy and Hindutva led to the downfall of BJP in its southern bastion, according to psephologist James Manor.
Speaking about post-poll analysis of the Karnataka 2013 election on Tuesday, he said the BJP had given a below par government and were also unskilled in covering up their misdeeds.
According to him, corruption and centralisation of power held by the chief minister in the State had created a sense of frustration and intolerance not only in the State's population, but also within the party workers, resulting in a dissatisfied party work force.

“In the survey by Lokniti, the government got a very poor rating of minus seven, reflecting the distrust and distaste towards the party in the State,” he said.
Other than these factors, Manor believed that the poor enthusiasm with regards to Hindutva in Karnataka had also cost the BJP dearly.
“India has grown with an intolerance towards right wing extremism and though the BJP has realised it and toned it down, they managed to touch some nerves in Karnataka. The takers for Hindutva in the South are very less,” he explained.
He said that Modi's visit along coastal Karnataka, in addition to his inflammatory speech, resulted in the party losing all their seats in the region.
However, he believed that the electorate had limited options and the Congress winning the election was more of a 'hit-and-miss' case. If the administration of the Congress committee was better, the Congress would have seen a far bigger majority in the State, he said.
He was critical of the Congress due to the lack of nerve showed against the rebels within its party and its “disastrous” candidate selection, especially in the greater Bangalore region. “The Congress, today, is in a situation where it would be damned irrespective of it doing right or wrong. The candidate selection process reflects this. It usually results in them taking tentative decisions all the time. Otherwise, there was no reason for the BJP winning so many seats in Bangalore.”
Manor added that corruption, which was one of the reasons for BJP's downfall, would also be a reason for the downfall of Congress in the forthcoming general elections in 2014. “The Lokniti survey showed 63.5 per cent of the people surveyed expressing dissatisfaction with the BJP in the State, and 63.3 per cent being dissatisfied with the Congress at the Centre,” he said and added that he was confident of the Congess facing a 'rather humiliating' defeat in the 2014 elections.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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