Will Congress field U T Ifthikar from Kasaragod LS seat?

coastaldigest.com web desk
March 13, 2019

Kasaragod/Mangaluru, Mar 13: The Indian National Congress, which has been trying to wrest Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for past three decades, is reportedly mulling to field U T Ifthikar Ali, younger brother of Karnataka’s minister for urban development and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge U T Khader, in the 17th Lok Sabha elections.  The coastal district of Kerala will go to polls on April 23.

According to party sources, Ifthikar’s name is among a few shortlisted Congress leaders’ names being considered by the high command to be fielded from Kasaragod. The list of aspirants from this segment also includes former Kasaragod MP B Rama Rai, senior advocate Subbaiah Rai and former Kannur MP Abdulla Kutty.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls Congress had lost to CPI (M) leader  P Karunakaran with a small margin of around six thousand votes in Kasaragod, which has around 13.5 lakh voters including around 60 percent of Hindus and 30 percent of Muslims. Hence Congress is likely to prefer Ifthikar, whose family is known for promoting secularism and communal harmony in coastal Karnataka, sources said.

Even though Ifthikar, who is the Syndicate member of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, is currently based in Mangaluru, he is not a stranger for the people of Kasaragod district as his family hails from Uppala region.

On the other hand Kasaragod too shares close ties with Mangaluru. In fact prior to the implementation of States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the present Legislative Assembly seats of Manjeswar, Kasaragod, Udma and Kanhangad in Kasaragod district were part of South Kanara (South) LS constituency of erstwhile Madras State. In 1956, South Kanara (South) LS constituency was replaced by Mangaluru LS constituency, which gradually became Dakshina Kannada constituency. The parts of Kasaragod and Hosdurg (Kanhangad) seats were merged with Kerala and became a part of Kasaragod LS constituency. Kasaragod still has a considerable number of Kannadigas that share an emotional bond with Karnataka.

Despite, hailing from a politically influential family, Ifthikar has so far refrained from electoral politics. However, elections are not new for him. He has been the “poll strategist” for his elder brother who has registered four successive victories in Mangaluru assembly constituency after the demise of his father and four-time MLA U T Fareed in 2007. Besides, Ifthikar enjoys close contact with several bigwigs of Congress including its supremo Rahul Gandhi and former union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He also has maintained a good relationship with several prominent NRI businessmen from Kasaragod district and heads of educational institutions, hospitals in the region.

He is also a known personality in health, social, educational fields in costal belt of Karnataka and is president of Dakshina Kannada Physiotherapy Teachers Association, Sport & Fitness Training Federation of India and executive committee member of the Indian Association of Physiotherapy. As chairman of U T Fareed Foundation, he has undertaken many charity activities. Being a social activist he is involved in various social service activities.

While contacted, Ifthikar told coastaldigest.com that he has been associated with Congress since his college days and that he would not hesitate to jump into poll fray from Kasaragod if the party high command wishes. “I will abide by the high command’s decision,” he said.

Comments

Kannadiga
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

Kasargod will witness real development if a Kannadiga becomes its MP. Malayalees are showing step-motherly attitude towards the people of Kasargod.

Unni Krishna
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

Not a bad choice. Kasaragod also need some respite from communist politics. Let Congress field this handsome gentleman.

Anand T
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

UTI is the best choice for Kasaragod district. Efficient and people friendly. 

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News Network
May 4,2024

Mangaluru: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mullai Muhilan MP said that election for the South West Teachers and Graduates constituencies will be held on June 3.

The notification for the same will be issued on May 9. The last date for filing nominations is May 16. The nominations must be submitted to Regional Commissioner in Mysuru and the last date for withdrawal of nomination is May 17.

The counting of votes will be held on June 6.

As of December 30, 2023 there are 6753 voters in DK district in the South West Teachers Constituency out of which 4520 are women. On the other hand, there are 16,869 graduate voters in the district for the South West graduates constituency.

The voters can submit their application for enrollment in electoral list of the South West Teachers and graduates constituency till May 6. The applications can be submitted at Mangaluru City Corporation or all the taluk offices.

Bulk applications can be submitted by Bar Association, Doctors association, Chartered Accountants Association, registered engineers association for the graduates constituency.

Those who are graduates prior to November 11, 2020 can enroll for voters list in the graduates constituency  by submitting Form 18 along with photo copy of marks card, Aadhaar card, voters' identity card and residential address.

For getting oneself enrolled in the teachers constituency voters, an individual should be teaching for minimum three years prior to November 1, 2023 in high school or higher educational institutions.

For the teachers constituency, educational institutions can submit applications in bulk. If wrong details are furnished in these applications, then they will be punishable under Section 31 of Representation of People Act, warned the DC.

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News Network
May 8,2024

vbangera.jpg

Mangaluru: Congress leader and five-time Belthangady MLA K Vasanth Bangera, passed away on Wednesday, at a private hospital in Bengaluru on Wednesday. He was 79.

His health condition had worsened recently, and he was shifted to Bengaluru for treatment. His body is likely to be brought to Belthangady on May 9 and will be kept for public homage, family sources said.

He has the credit of contesting from all three parties - BJP, Janata Dal and Congress. Since 1983, he had contested nine assembly elections and won five times.

Bangera had entered the Legislative Assembly by winning Belthangady constituency as a BJP candidate in 1983 against Gangadhar Gowda of the Congress.

He won had the elections again in 1985 and later joined the Janata Dal. However, he lost the election against Gangadhar Gowda of Congress in 1989.

He became an MLA once again for the third time in 1994. In the 1999 election, Bangera lost to his brother Prabhakar Bangera who contested from BJP.

In 2008, Bangera joined the Congress and won the elections for the fourth time. In 2013, he had once again won the elections against Ranjan Gowda of the BJP, but he also lost the elections to sitting MLA Harish Poonja of the BJP in 2018.

He was born to Kede Subba Poojary and Devaki. He is survived by his wife Sujitha V Bangera, and two daughters Preethitha and Binutha.
 

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News Network
May 6,2024

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Several women, believed to be victims of Prajwal Revanna, have left their homes in Karnataka's Hassan district over the last ten days, according to media reports.

These departures reportedly come amid fear and stigma after their identities became public due to the circulating video clips showing the women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by Prajwal Revanna.

"The entire district is in H D Revanna’s control. You speak ill about them and chances are high that it will reach them, because the family and the party have a large following," a shopkeeper in Hagare - 20 km from Hassan – was quoted as saying by the news paper. 

Hassan is the bastion of the JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda, and Prajwal, his grandson, is the sitting MP.

The family of the woman whose complaint was the basis of the first FIR against Prajwal has now left their home, the publication reported, citing a neighbour who said, "The woman worked at Revanna’s house as a house help. Some of her videos started to circulate and then, her house was seen locked. We don’t know when she left."

Notably, a former Zilla Panchayat member has also filed a rape case against Prajwal, and in that village many women who worked for the party formerly are now incommunicado, a JD(S) leader told the publication. "We noticed many of the party women deleting their photos with Prajwal on social media. In some instances, men are questioning their wives about their association with the MP. It is shattering the lives of many women in the district," he said.

The local leader added that the former Zilla Panchayat member was there on April 24, but no one had seen the family since the videos came out.

The case is currently being probed by an SIT team and when they reached the Revanna residence, party workers were reportedly heard talking about the women. "I know this woman, she lived close to our residence and was very active in JD(S) activities. Her house is locked… she has small children," one said, as per IE.

Another shopkeeper added, "It was really wrong to reveal the faces of the women. I know some of them, and they have gone into hiding. We don’t know whether they can return."

He noted that it is impossible to survive in Hassan while fighting a case against the Revanna family.

While Prajwal's father, H D Revanna is in SIT custody, a Blue Corner notice has been issued against the sitting MP.

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