Ugrappa, Ivan, Iqbal, Jabbar, Jayamala become MLCs; BJP cries foul play

June 25, 2014

Bangalore, Jun 25: The Governor, H R Bhardwaj, on Tuesday nominated five persons to the Legislative Council even as four members were elected to the Upper house from the graduates and the teachers constituencies.

Former opposition leader in Council and Congress leader V S Ugrappa, former party MP Iqbal Ahmed Saradagi, Davangere district Congress president Abdul Jabbar and party leader Ivan D'Souza were nominated to the Legislative Council despite the opposition BJP crying foul.

Actor Jayamala, who has been associated with the Congress for many years, has also been nominated to the Council. Bhardwaj had in 2010 rejected the then BJP government's recommendation to nominate former minister V Somanna to the Council, citing Article 171, Sub-clause 5 of the Constitution of India which says that persons with special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, co-operative movement and social service are to be nominated.

On learning that the ruling Congress was planning to nominate party functionaries to the Council, a delegation of BJP leaders headed by Opposition leader Jagadish Shettar had recently submitted a memorandum to the governor, urging him to prevent the government from making the Upper House a political rehabilitation centre.

The delegation had also reminded Bhardwaj of his 2010 decision and hoped that he would not go against the Constitution. Bhardwaj's term as governor ends on June 29.

The Congress government had apprehensions that he might yield to pressure from various quarters and not approve the list of nominees. Hence, taking no chances, Siddaramaiah personally handed over the list to Bhardwaj on Tuesday evening.

Bhardwaj approved the recommendation and issued a notification in this regard within the few hours of receiving the list of names. However, the notification copy was not made available to the media by Raj Bhavan.

Ugrappa is a close associate of Siddaramaiah, but not on good terms with state Congress chief G Parameshwara. Senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge reportedly wanted Gulbarga man Saradagi to be made MLC as he had lost the Council elections last time.

Abdul Jabbar is a sitting MLC, and is close to minister Shamanoor Shivashankarappa, while D 'Souza supposedly enjoys the support of former Union minister Oscar Fernandes.

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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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