Seat sharing for LS polls in Karnataka: Danish Ali proposes 18 seats for Cong, 10 for JD(S)

coastaldigest.com news network

January 1, 2019

Bengaluru, Jan 1: Janata Dal (Secular) strategist Danish Ali today said that the sharing of Lok Sabha seats between Congress and his party and for this year's general elections should be on a 2:1 formula.

The larger share should go to the Congress, said Mr Ali, who was one of the key interlocutors when the two parties forged a post-poll alliance in Karnataka in May to keep the BJP out of power.

Under the formula he suggested, of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Congress should get 18 seats and the JD(S) 10 seats. No seat has been earmarked for Mayawati, who is Mr Kumaraswamy's ally in the state.

"Friendly fight on any seat should be the last option... The Congress and the JD(S) should steer clear of it," Mr Ali said.

Mr Ali's remarks come amid reports of friction between the local leaders of the two parties. The JD(S) leaders, complaining about the "big brother" attitude of the Congress, had asked the party brass to contest all 28 seats.

But party patriarch HD Deve Gowda had stepped in, assuring that the seat sharing process will be smooth.

"Let there be no unnecessary confusion regarding sharing of Lok Sabha seats...Kumaraswamy has expressed his opinion about JD(S) contesting from 12 seats, we (the Congress and the JD(S)) will sit and decide, we will do the seat sharing smoothly," Mr Deve Gowda was quoted as saying by a news agency.

The formal discussions, he indicated, would be finalised by January 15, as Parliament session will continue till January 8, Mr Deve Gowda had said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

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.

Comments