4 from Karnataka - 2 Brahmins, 1 Vokkaliga, 1 Lingayat - in PM Modi’s new cabinet

News Network
May 31, 2019

Bengaluru, May 31: Four parliamentarians from Karnataka – three from lower house and one from upper house – have found a spot in the newly formed NDA government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Bengaluru North MP D V Sadananda Gowda, Dharwad MP Pralhad V Joshi, and Belgaum MP Suresh Angadi were sworn in at a ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan along with Rajya Sabha MP Nirmala Sitharaman.

By giving representation to Lingayats and Vokkaligas, the saffron party has tried to strike a balance in seniority, caste and region while selecting the names.

Gowda was inducted as the party wanted to give representation to southern Karnataka as well as the Vokkaliga community, which primarily votes for the JD(S) and Congress. The party re-inducted Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajya Sabha member from Karnataka, who is a Brahmin. 

Joshi is also a Brahmin while Angadi comes from the core vote base of the BJP, Lingayats.

Joshi, a former President of BJP Karnataka unit, also served as the Chairman of the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Natural Gas while Angadi served as Chairman of Committee on House which allocates accommodation to MPs.

In the Modi government’s first term in office, D V Sadananda Gowda (Vokkaliga), G M Siddeshwara (Lingayat), along with Ananth Kumar (Brahmin) had found a place.

Later, when the Cabinet rejig happened, Ramesh Jigajinagi, a Scheduled Caste leader, was inducted after dropping Siddeshwara.

Sadananda Gowda, former Chief Minister of Karnataka, held several important portfolios in the previous government including Railways and Law and Justice and Chemical and Fertilisers.

Uttara Kannada MP Anant Kumar Hegde has also not found a place. A senior-most MP, having won Lok Sabha elections consecutively for six terms, the party decided not to re-induct him as he faced the ire of party leaders as well as the opposition for his controversial statements.

Even Jigajinagi, who had held the portfolio of Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation, was not re-inducted as the prime minister was not happy with his performance.

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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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News Network
December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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