Governor nixes government's move to make Lingappa MLC

Bengaluru, May 18: Governor Vajubhai R Vala has approved two names recommended by the state government for the Karnataka Legislative Council and set aside one recommendation.

The chief minister’s office on Wednesday said that Vala has rejected the recommendation of the name of C?M?Lingappa, former Congress MLA, for the nomination to the Council. The two other recommendations approved are that of Mohan Kumar Kondajji and P?R?Ramesh. A nominated MLC will have a six-year term in office.

As per rules, those who have contributed significantly to the field of arts, literature, cooperation or have done social service should be nominated to the Legislative Council. The governor, according to the CMO, has found Lingappa not falling under any of these categories. He was recommended as an ‘educationist’ as he runs a host of educational institutions including an engineering college, it is said.

During the BJP regime, the nomination of V?Somanna as MLC was rejected by the then governor H?R?Bhardwaj on the grounds that he was defeated when he had contested the Legislative Assembly elections. Hence, such persons should not become nominated MLCs, was the argument.

Lingappa, it is said, faced similar complaint as he too had unsuccessfully contested Assembly elections in the past.

Usually ruling parties recommend politicians under ‘social service’ category to get their favourites nominated. Lingappa of Ramanagaram enjoys the backing of Energy Minister D?K?Shivakumar.

The chief minister, keeping caste equations in mind, had selected a Lingayat, a Vokkaliga and an OBC for the nomination. Kondajji, a Lingayat, hails from Davangere. He was spokesman of the Congress.

He is the headquarters commissioner of Bharat Scouts & Guides, Karnataka and national headquarters commissioner, New Delhi. He used to be active in theatre and film fields. His father Kondajji Basappa, was a minister in the prime minister Indira Gandhi Cabinet and the chief minister S Nijalingappa Cabinet in the state.

Ramesh, who belongs to Thigala community, was Bengaluru Mayor between 2003-04. He is the vice president of Harijan Sevak Sangh founded by Mahatma Gandhi and president of Samarpan, an NGO. He was thrice corporator from Visveswarapuram ward in south Bengaluru.

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.

Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

Comments