Karnataka is saviour of Congress; will win 2018 polls too: Venugopal

Bengaluru, May 9: Karnataka has been a saviour for the Congress party whenever it was in crisis, according to K C Venugopal, the newly appointed AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka.

Speaking after being felicitated on Monday during his first visit to the party office after assuming charge, Venugopal said the aim of the Congress is to stop the BJP from coming to power and ensure the Congress’ victory in the 2018 Assembly elections in the state.

“The Congress had won in Karnataka in 1978 though it had done badly across the country. The BJP’s dream of making the country free of Congress will never come true,” said Venugopal, who is a close confidant of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

“The Congress workers should shun all differences among themselves and work towards stopping the BJP from coming to power in Karnataka. The Congress should win the next Assembly elections...This is our aim,” he said while addressing the party workers at the KPCC office.

The Congress has taken it as a challenge to win the next Assembly elections in Karnataka. Hence, priority has been given to strengthening the party from the gross roots level. “Differences among the leaders are common in all political parties. But unlike other parties there are no factions in the Congress. The party can win the 2018 polls by making a united effort, he added.

He praised the party government headed by Siddaramaiah, saying that it has been doing good work. Steps should be taken to inform people of the achievements of the government. The party cannot expect good results in the elections unless people are educated about the initiatives taken by the government, he said, adding that he has witnessed this in Kerala. Venugopal is a Congress MP from Alappuzha in Kerala and the party’s deputy whip in the Lok Sabha.

To stay in Bengaluru

K C Venugopal is likely to take a house on rent in Bengaluru as he has decided to visit the state frequently till the Assembly elections in 2018.

Sources in the Congress said the party is looking for an independent house for Venugopal so that he can use it as his home office. Besides, Venugopal is planning to establish what is called “war room” to prepare the party for the 2018 elections, the sources said.

Each of four AICC secretaries has been made in-charge of each of the four revenue divisions of the state. They will tour their respective divisions in the coming days to get the feedback on party works, the sources said.

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.

Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

Comments