Bickering in state Congress comes to fore at interactive meeting

Bengaluru/New Delhi, May 24: The Congress’ move to interact with the district-level leaders appears to have proved that all is not well in the state unit of the ruling party.

A factional feud and a rift among the party leaders in Kalaburagi, Koppal and Ballari districts came to the fore when AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday held discussions with the Congress legislators and the party leaders from the Kalaburagi division.

Sources in the Congress said the party leaders from Ballari complained that differences between Labour Minister Santosh Lad, who is also the district incharge Minister, and Anil Lad, MLA were taking a toll on the party in the district. The party workers are demoralised due to this reason. Moreover, former minister G Janardhana Reddy is becoming active in the district. If appropriate steps are not taken immediately, the party will not be able to win even two seats in the next elections, the leaders from Ballari are learnt to have warned.

Senior legislators from the erstwhile undivided Kalaburagi district, Dr A B Maalakaraddy and Malikayya V Guttedar, who are sulking, did not attend the meeting. Siddaramaiah is learnt to have pulled up the district in-charge Minister Dr Sharan Prakash Patil in this regard. The two legislators are upset with Siddaramaiah for not making them ministers. Speculation is rife in the party that they may quit the Congress in the coming days.

On Monday, the factional feud in Belagavi Congress unit had come to the fore. Ramesh Jarkiholi and his brother Satish Jarkiholi had indulged in a heated argument in front of Venugopal and Siddaramaiah, causing immense embarrassment to the party.

Satish meets Rahul

Satish, who met Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, told reporters in New Delhi that he discussed the party affairs and strategy to be adopted in the next Assembly polls with him.

“I want the party leadership to control the activities of Ramesh Jarkiholi and his younger brother Lakhan. Otherwise, I will decide my future destination. The same has been conveyed to the party top brass,” he said.

In Bengaluru, Siddaramaiah admitted that the Jarkiholi brothers fought with each other at the meeting on Monday, but he immediately retracted his statement. “They have not complained against me to Rahul Gandhi. They had gone to Delhi to take part in an ST leaders’ conference and they met him on its sidelines.”

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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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