S. M. Krishna puts off BJP-joining programme following sister’s death

March 15, 2017

Bengaluru, Mar 15: Former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna has put off his programme of joining the Bharatiya Janata Party following the death of his sister.

The 84-year-old leader, who quit the Congress with which he had associated himself for nearly 50 years on January 28, had already reached New Delhi on Tuesday as he was scheduled to join the BJP on Wednesday.

However, his sister Sunitha died on Tuesday night following which he has decided to return to Bengaluru immediately.

Sources close to Mr. Krishna told The Hindu that he was now most likely to join the Party sometime next week. However, the exact date of joining was yet to be decided, they noted.

As per the earlier plan, Mr. Krishna was supposed to hold consultations with BJP National president Amit Shah on Tuesday. However, he could not meet Mr. Shah as the latter returned to the national capital late on Tuesday night since he had to attend Manohar Parrikar’s swearing-in as Chief Minister of Goa.

Similarly, there was uncertainty about Mr. Krishna’s party joining programme on Wednesday too as Mr. Shah is scheduled to attend the BJP government’s installation programme in Manipur.

Following this, the BJP Karnataka unit leaders had on Tuesday night announced that Mr. Krishna would join the party either on Wednesday evening or Thursday morning depending upon Mr. Shah’s schedule. However, the programme has now been put off following the death of Mr. Krishna’s sister.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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