Unable to topple Cong-JD(S) coalition govt, Karnataka BJP leaders hesitant to face Amit Shah

coastaldigest.com news network

October 5, 2018

Bengaluru, Oct 5: As all their efforts to topple the chief minister H D Kumaraswamy-led Congress-JD(S) coalition of Karnataka proved futile, the BJP leaders in the state appear to be jittery ahead of the visit of their national supremo Amit Shah.

Besides, the State BJP leadership’s two decisions - not fielding candidates for the recent elections to the Legislative Council and of abruptly staying away from the Bengaluru mayoral polls is- are understood to have not gone down well with the central leadership.

These decisions had left the party cadre bewildered as they came amid speculation that the BJP would topple the ruling Janata Dal(S)-Congress coalition government by wooing MLAs from the combine. The decision not to field candidates in the Council polls, for which MLAs are voters, turned out to be an anti-climax.

The manner in which the party stayed away from contesting also triggered speculation that it was not confident of keeping its flock together, let alone of wooing MLAs from the coalition.

This boosted the morale of the ruling combine as it put an end to political instability at least for the time being. But the political interpretation that the BJP lacked confidence in keeping its flock together embarrassed the party cadre.

Similar was the case with fielding candidates in the mayoral polls for the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike.

The supporters of party State president B.S. Yeddyurappa and Bengaluru city leader R. Ashok — who, respectively, took the decisions on not fielding candidates for the Council and mayoral polls — have defended the moves by pointing out that the party lacked numerical strength to win both polls.

However, party insiders admit that these episodes and the tepid end to the apparent efforts to topple the government have the potential to affect the party’s morale ahead of the formal launch of preparations for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The matter is expected to come up during the interactions with Mr. Shah when he visits, party sources note. Meanwhile, these decisions have given ammunition to Mr. Yeddyurappa’s detractors and left his supporters worried.

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Mangaluru NRI returning from Saudi Arabia arrested over Instagram post

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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