Karnataka polls: UTK’s Mangaluru, DKS’ Kanakapura… 20 seats to watch out for

News Network
March 29, 2023

polls.jpg

For the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka, following are the 20 seats to watch out for:

1. Shiggaon: Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is the sitting MLA. He won the 2018 assembly election with a victory margin of 9,265 votes against Sayed Azeem Peer Khadri (Congress).

2. Varuna: Congress stalwart and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is going back to his old constituency, which he had ‘sacrificed’ for his son S Yathindra in 2018 and went on to contest from Chamundeshwari and Badami. While he lost from Chamundeshwari to JD(S) candidate G T Deve Gowda, he won with a margin of 1,996 against the BJP candidate B Sriramulu in Badami. Now, it is his son’s turn to make the "sacrifice".

3. Mangaluru: The Congress has again fielded its Deputy Leader in Assembly, U T Khader Ali Fareed. He is the only Congress MLA in the BJP stronghold of Dakshina Kannada district.

4. Mandya: M Srinivas from the JD(S) had won the 2018 assembly election defeating the Congress candidate. The BJP, which was in the third position, now has the backing of independent MP Sumalatha, who recently extended her support to it.

5. Kanakapura: Congress state president D K Shivakumar, nick-named as ‘Kanakapura Rock’ is a seven-time MLA and has maintained his winning streak from 1989 to till date.

6. Hassan: The BJP’s Preetham Gowda broke the JD(S) monopoly last time by defeating H S Prakash with a victory margin of about 13,000 votes. This time, the JD(S) is confronted with a ‘family feud’ where Deve Gowda’s daughter-in-law (H D Revanna’s wife) Bhavani has demanded a ticket to contest from Hassan.

7. Kolar: Former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had expressed his willingness to contest from here but withdrew at the last moment. The JD(S) sitting MLA K Srinivasa Gowda had sided with the Congress during the Rajya Sabha election last year in June. The JD(S) has to hunt for a new candidate.

8. Channapatna: JD(S) second-in-command H D Kumaraswamy decided to contest from here instead of Ramanagara in 2018 only to defeat the local strongman C P Yogeeshwara. Kumaraswamy is again contesting from the same constituency.

9. Shikaripura: The seat held by former CM and Lingayat strongman B S Yediyurappa is now vacant following his retirement from active politics. There is a buzz in political circles that his second son B Y Vijayendra may get the ticket.

10. Shivamogga: K S Eshwarappa, who resigned as minister following a bribery charge, is the sitting MLA here.

11. Soraba: This constituency may see the two sons of former chief minister late S Bangarappa, Kumar Bangarappa, who is a sitting BJP MLA, and Madhu Bangarappa, pitted against each other again. Last time the JD(S) gave Madhu ticket but this time he is in the Congress.

12. Gokak: Nicknamed as 'Sahukara', Ramesh Jarkiholi of the powerful Jarkiholi family of Belagavi has been representing this seat since 1999. Jarkiholi resigned from his ministerial position following a sex scandal two years ago. Jarkiholi quit Congress and joined the BJP in 2019.

13. Devanahalli: The Modi Juggernaut in 2019 had halted Congress MP K H Muniyappa’s long stint in Lok Sabha continuously from 1991. Muniyappa who had spent all his electoral politics in Lok Sabha is trying his luck from Devanahalli and he will fight the assembly election against JD(S) sitting MLA L N Narayana Swamy.

14. Gangavati: Gangavati has suddenly become important after the mining baron and former BJP minister G Janardhana Reddy decided to fight from here representing his new party “Karnataka Rajya Pragathi Paksha ''. Currently it is held by Paranna Ishwarappa Munavalli of BJP.

15. Vijayapura: Basanagouda Patil Yatnal, known for his controversial statements, is the BJP MLA here.

16. Ballari city: Former Minister, mining baron and chief of Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha, G Janardhana Reddy has announced that his wife Aruna Lakshmi will be fielded from here. Reddy's brother G Somasekara Reddy is the sitting BJP MLA.

17. Chittapur: Former Minister Priyank Kharge, son of AICC President M Mallikarjuna Kharge, is seeking reelection from here.

18. Koratagere: Former Deputy Chief Minister and five time MLA, G Parameshwara, is seeking reelection from here. A former state congress chief, who served in that post for eight years, he has already said he is among the Chief Ministerial aspirants.

19. Ramanagara: Anitha Kumaraswamy, wife of former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and daughter-in-law of former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, had won the 2018 election. This time the party has fielded Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil. He had lost his maiden poll battle in the Lok Sabha election in 2019 to the BJP backed independent MP Sumalatha Ambareesh from Mandya.

20. Chikkamagaluru: BJP national general secretary and four-time MLA C T Ravi, is representing this seat. 

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.
News Network
June 28,2025

funeral.jpg

Tehran, June 28: Iran is holding a grand funeral service for those martyred in the 12-day aggression by Israel and the US against the Islamic Republic.

The funeral in capital Tehran for 60 nuclear scientists, military commanders and civilians martyred in Israeli strikes began at 8:00 am (0430 GMT) in Enqelab Square on Saturday, proceeding to Azadi Square, about 11 kilometers across the sprawling metropolis.

A huge crowd of mourners is participating in the procession, accompanying coffins with chants of "death to Israel" and "death to America" and carrying placards.

"Boom boom Tel Aviv," read one banner, referring to Iranian missiles fired at Israel during the conflict in retaliation for its attacks on Iran.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, along with other senior government officials and military commanders including head of the Quds Force Brigadier General Esmail Qa’ani are also attending the event.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, who attended the procession, paid flowing tributes to the martyrs in a message on X.

“Today, the zealous people of Iran carry on their shoulders, with heavy sorrow but standing steadfast and powerful, some of their purest and most patriotic sons and daughters - commanders, elites, athletes, women and children of this land - who were martyred during the war imposed by the aggressor Zionist regime, and with indescribable respect, they lay them to rest on the soil of their homeland like mythical heroes; so that each one may become a seed for the growth of other heroes," he wrote.

Images showed coffins draped in Iranian flags and bearing portraits of the martyred commanders in uniform near in the iconic Enqelab Square in central Tehran.

Mohsen Mahmoudi, head of Tehran's Islamic Development Coordination Council, called it a "historic day for Islamic Iran and the revolution".

Among the martyrs is Mohammad Bagheri, a major general and the second-in-command of the armed forces after the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei.

He will be buried alongside his wife and daughter, a journalist for a local media outlet, all martyred in an Israeli attack in Tehran.

Nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, also martyred in the savage aggression, will be buried with his wife.

Chief commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Major General Hossein Salami, who was martyred on the first day of the unprovoked aggression, will also be laid to rest after Saturday's ceremony — which will also honor at least 30 other top commanders.

Of the 60 people who are to be laid to rest after the ceremony, four are children.

Iranian officials say more than 600 people, mostly civilians, were martyred in Israeli and US aggression against Iran.

The ceremony coincides with the second day of the Islamic month of Muharram, which commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Shia Imam, and his 72 companions.

In 680 AD, Imam Hussein (AS) and his followers fought bravely for justice against the much larger army of the Umayyad caliph, Yazid I, in the Battle of Karbala, in southern Iraq.

“Iranians have proven that they are the nation of Imam Hussein; a nation that, in the battle of truth against falsehood, relying on faith, steadfastness, and national solidarity, has the ability to overcome any evil," Baghaei wrote.

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.
coastaldigest.com news network
June 30,2025

ayshwarya.jpg

Indian National Congress’ national media panelist Aishwarya Mahadev has been appointed as the new Chairperson of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) Social Media Department.

In an official press release, AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal stated, “The AICC has approved the proposal for the appointment of Ms. Aishwarya Mahadev as the Chairperson of the Social Media Department of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, with immediate effect.”

Aishwarya is the daughter of late Congress leader and former MLA Manchanahalli Mahadev, who passed away 14 years ago. 

Despite losing her father at a young age, Aishwarya has remained deeply involved in the party’s activities from early on. She rose through the ranks to become Secretary of the Congress Mahila Morcha (Women’s Wing) at a young age and has held several important responsibilities since then.

Over the years, she has gained prominence as a bold and articulate spokesperson for the Congress, often representing the party in televised debates and digital platforms. 

Known for her sharp communication skills and strong digital presence, her appointment is seen as a strategic move to further strengthen the Congress party’s outreach in Karnataka ahead of future elections.

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.
News Network
July 7,2025

Mangaluru, July 7: Two working professionals from Mangaluru have lost more than ₹10 lakh in separate incidents of online job fraud, raising alarm over the growing trend of cybercrime exploiting employment seekers.

Case 1: Part-Time Job Scam on WhatsApp & Telegram

A woman professional lost ₹6.5 lakh after falling for a so-called part-time work-from-home job. According to her complaint, she received a WhatsApp message on June 25 from someone claiming to be an HR assistant from the NSE Exchange. The job promised earnings between ₹5,000 and ₹20,000.

She was asked to join via a link and instructed to download the Telegram app, where further communication and tasks were assigned. After completing 30 initial tasks, she received small payments of ₹180 and ₹200 to gain her trust.

However, soon she was assigned "trade tasks" and told to deposit ₹800 to a bank account. Over the next three days (June 26–28), she was made to transfer larger amounts to multiple accounts via UPI and net banking. When no payments were refunded, she realized it was a scam and lodged a complaint with Mangaluru Rural Police.

Case 2: Fake International Hospital Job Offer

In another incident, a medical professional lost ₹4.2 lakh to fraudsters posing as recruiters for NMC Hospital in Dubai. The complainant received a call on June 6 from a woman named Sangeetha, followed by a detailed job offer via email.

A man named Vinay Singh then contacted the complainant and asked for multiple payments — ₹5,499 for registration, ₹25,960 for profile verification, and over ₹82,000 for a DHA licence. Over the next few days, further payments totaling several lakhs were demanded for NOC and other formalities.

Suspicion arose when the fraudsters asked for an additional ₹2.6 lakh. After consulting friends, the complainant discovered the job offer was fake and reported the fraud to Kankanady Town Police Station.

Authorities Urge Caution

Police have urged the public, especially job seekers, to be extremely cautious while responding to unsolicited job offers online, particularly those demanding advance payments or using unofficial platforms like WhatsApp or Telegram for communication.

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.