Congress likely to field Maratha candidate Anjali Nimbalkar from Belagavi LS seat

TNN
November 26, 2018

Dharwad, Nov 26: Desperate to increase its tally in Lok Sabha from Karnataka and to recapture the seat from BJP in Belagaviconstituency, the Congress is considering fielding Khanapur MLA Anjali Nimbalkar as its candidate in the 2019 Lok Sabha election from Belagavi.

Highly placed sources said the Congress had decided to field a Maratha candidate from Belagavi and Anjali is the lone person fitting the bill. “She is the top priority now,” said a senior leader.

Belagavi constituency had been the bastion of Congress from 1977 to 1989 as its candidates A K Kotrashetti (1977), S B Sidnal (1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991) winning the seat. It was Shivanand Koujalgi of Janata Dal who wrested the seat from Congress in 1996. He had defeated Babagouda Patil of BJP pushing the Congress to the third place. Babagouda (BJP) had won in 1998 but lost to Amarsinh Patil of Congress in 1999.

The BJP tasted success again in 2004 as its candidate Suresh Angadi won against Amarsinh Patil. He has been winning since then. The Congress had fielded Laxmi Hebbalkar against Angadi in 2014, but she failed to wrest the seat for the party.

It may be recalled here that Chikkodi Lok Sabha constituency in Belagavi district had the rare distinction of sending one person - B Shankaranand - seven times in a row to the Parliament. A Congress nominee, Shankaranand had won the seat in 1967, 1971, 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989 and 1991.

It took a woman candidate to end the winning streak of the Congress strongman. Ratnamala Savanur of Janata Dal defeated Shankaranand in 1996 by a margin of 1,12,759 votes. Shankaranand again suffered defeat at the hands of Ramesh Jigajinagi of Lok Shakti in 1998 by a margin of 1,31,238 votes. Jigajinagi later changed over to JD(U) and won against Shankaranand’s son Pradeep Kanagali in 1999 and again in 2004 as BJP candidate against Shyam Ghatage of Congress.

Taking cue from the Chikkodi experiment, the Congress is planning to field a woman candidate who is also a Maratha and Anjali Nimbalkar fits the frame, said the senior leader. “She has been asked to be ready,” the leader said.

Anjali Nimbalkar, a doctor by profession, is representing Khanapur constituency in the assembly. Khanapur, though in Belagavi district, comes under Uttara Kannada Lok Sabha constituency. She had won the assembly poll against Vithal Halagekar of BJP by a margin of 9,377 votes. In 2013, she lost to Arvind Patil of BJP by a margin of 19,000 votes.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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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 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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