Cong fields Mansoor Ali Khan as 2nd candidate to checkmate JDS in RS polls

News Network
May 30, 2022

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Bengaluru, May 30: Congress today surprised BJP and JD(S) by fielding a second candidate for the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, forcing an election for a seat it does not have enough numbers to win.

The Congress has fielded former union minister Jairam Ramesh and Karnataka Congress general secretary Mansoor Ali Khan as its candidates for the Rajya Sabha elections. 

Four Rajya Sabha seats from Karnataka are up for grabs and a candidate needs 45 votes to win. Based on their strength in the Legislative Assembly, the BJP can win two seats and the Congress one. Elections are needed as incumbent MPs Nirmala Sitharaman (union finance minister), KC Ramamurthy (BJP) and Jairam Ramesh (Congress) are due for retirement. Also, the death of senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes vacated his seat.

The BJP has picked Sitharaman and actor-politician Jaggesh as its candidates for the two seats it can surely win.
The Congress’ move to field a second candidate could put the JD(S) in a quandary amid speculation that the regional party wants to field its former MP Kupendra Reddy as a candidate by using additional votes of the BJP. 

Both Ramesh and Khan filed their nomination papers in the presence of senior Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Siddaramaiah, DK Shivakumar, UT Khader, RV Deshpande, HK Patil and others. 

“We have our own calculations,” Shivakumar, the KPCC president, told reporters on fielding Khan as the party’s second candidate. “We know that all the three parties have a shortage of votes. Last time, out of respect, we did not field a candidate against former prime minister HD Deve Gowda,” he said, hinting that the Congress’ move is aimed at checkmating the regional party. 

After electing two Rajya Sabha candidates, the BJP will be left with an additional 29 votes. The Congress will be left with 24 extra votes after electing Ramesh. The JD(S) has only 32 votes, which is insufficient to win a seat. 

According to sources, Congress’s plan is to see how the JD(S) will respond. If the regional party takes the BJP’s support, then Congress will attack the secular credentials of the JD(S).

“If they are truly secular, then let them vote for a young, educated Muslim candidate,” KPCC working president Saleem Ahmed said, adding that the Congress has not yet had talks with the JD(S).

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News Network
September 12,2024

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to CJI D Y Chandrachud's house for Ganesha puja celebrations has raised doubts in the mind of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who questioned whether he would deliver 'justice' in the ongoing case the party has in the Supreme Court, given that the PM is the other party in the case.

Speaking to ANI, Raut said "Ganpathi festival is going on, people visit each other's houses. I don't have info regarding how many houses PM visited so far...but PM went to CJI's house and they together performed 'Aarti'."

He said that a custodian of the Constitution meeting politicians could raise doubts in the minds of people.

"In our case, other party is the central govt...Chief Justice should distance himself from this case because his relation with the other party in the case is openly visible," Raut continued.

He also raised questions if the CJI be able to give them justice in the case. "We are getting dates after dates and an illegal govt is going on...Shiv Sena and NCP were broken in such a way...we are not getting justice and PM Modi is taking a lot of interest in the illegal govt of Maharashtra, to save them," the Sena (UBT) leader continued.

Raut alleged that a doubt had been formed in Maharashtra's mind given the 'bond' the PM and the CJI seem to share.

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News Network
September 20,2024

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Mandya: The Deputy Superintendent of Police of Nagamangala town in Mandya district has been suspended for "negligence and dereliction of duty" in connection with the clashes that broke out between two groups during a Lord Ganesh idol procession, police said on Friday.

This is the second suspension of a police officer over the clashes on September 11 following which mobs went on a rampage targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension here.

The situation in the town has since returned to normalcy and most of the shops have started operating. However, adequate security forces continued to be stationed here as a precautionary measure, according to police.

Sumeeth A R, DySP (Nagamangala), was suspended on Thursday for negligence and dereliction of duty, Mandya Superintendent of Police Mallikarjun Baldandi told PTI.

"He (Sumeeth) was not present at the spot nor was he at the police headquarters when the incident occurred. He arrived late at the spot despite the sensitive nature of events," he said.

Earlier, Police Inspector Ashok Kumar posted at Nagamangala town police station was suspended for dereliction of duty in connection with the violence.

A total of 55 people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

According to police, an argument broke out between two groups, when the Ganesh idol procession by devotees from Badarikoppalu village reached a place of worship on September 11, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

The police had used mild force to disperse the crowd to control the situation.

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News Network
September 14,2024

Mangaluru: The block level and District Congress Committee presidents in the state will be changed in the next one month for better reach into society and bring in organisational fortification, said Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee working president G C Chandrasheker on Saturday.

The All India Congress Committee and KPCC have a vision for bringing a change in how the party works with the last man and woman in the state, he said at a press conference here.

"We are looking at bringing development models into the state with a new vision. We are a party that likes to work with the opposition in the developmental aspects and keep all other matters away that do not relate to the development of the state.

"We have a great respect for the people of the coast who are considered to be forward-looking and perceptible, but it is also true that we do not have the numbers in the upper house and in the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)," he said.

"Our endeavour is to not only create a strong pro-development workforce at the base level by strengthening the second and third level leadership in the state," he said.

Chandrasheker, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, said that he and his four colleagues of the rank of working presidents of the KPCC are going to every district to infuse the new thinking in our workers and leaders.

"This move will get a new surge considering the party is facing byelections in Shiggaon, Chennapatna and Sandhur segments and also vacant seats in the legislative council, followed by elections to the Urban Local Bodies and Panchayats" he said.

When asked about the reason for the changes, Chandrashekar said most of the people have already lived their tenures. The party wants to reward those who have not been given tickets to contest in the 2023 state assembly elections and 2024 Lok Sabha elections for political reasons.

There are quite good leaders and hard-working ground level workers who have great potential to lead the party in the coming years, he said.

"Women will get at least one top post in all District Congress Committees and block levels. There is also a move to give responsible positions for the workers and leaders coming from different strata of society, which are deliverable. The party will not shy away from it," he said.

The other two working presidents, Dr Manjunath Bhandary and Vasanth Kumar, were also present at the press conference.

Kumar said some of the regions in the state are dominated by the BJP. "We want to end this run and defeat the divisive models of the BJP." Bhandary said the Indian National Congress was aiming at a high development phase in the state and involve the opposition parties and their leaders in the development plans in the state. 

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