BJP will welcome Rajinikanth but he has to take call first: Amit Shah

May 22, 2017

Chennai, May 22: BJP president Amit Shah has said that this party would welcome South Indian superstar Rajinikanth, but that the latter has to first decide to enter politics.

Speaking at private TV event in New Delhi on Sunday, Shah responded to a query on the growing speculation surrounding the superstar's entry into politics. To a question on whether Rajinikanth will join the BJP, Shah said only the actor has to decide that. "When he has to enter politics, how can I decide that? From our end, every good person is welcome to join politics," he said.

Denying he had a conversation with Rajinikanth on the issue, Shah added that the actor must first decide to take the plunge into politics. Shah said one could speculate "only when Rajinikanth decides to enter politics" and that the actor has to decide first, whether or not he wants to take the plunge.

On reports that the actor might meet PM Naredra Modi soon, Shah said, "Thousands of people come to meet Modiji. Good people working in every sector meet Modiji and they should meet."

Last week, on the final day of his five-day interaction with fans, Rajinikanth reiterated his Tamil identity and gave a strong political colour to his speech. The actor called for cleaning up the political system and exhorted fans to "prepare for a battle" if necessary.

On Sunday, TN Congress committee president S Thirunavukkarasar told reporters that he believes Rajinikanth will not join any party but will only float his own organisation. "As a friend who has known him for 35-40 years what I think is he will not join any national or regional party. He will only float a new party," he said.

Last week, Rajinikanth had said he had no political aspirations but will consider taking the plunge if "God wills". He also said he would shun "money-minded people".

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

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.

Comments