Billava candidates more important than party affiliations for us: Shri Narayana Guru Forum president
Sathyajith Surathkal, the State President of the Shri Narayana Guru Vichara Vedike (SNGV), announced that the forum has decided to prioritize the candidate over the party affiliation and will extend support to Billava candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections across several constituencies, irrespective of their party affiliations. This decision was made public during a press conference held at the Press Club in Mangaluru on Monday.
Surathkal highlighted the significance of the decision, stating that the 'Narayana Guru Samaja,' comprising 26 communities including Billavas, Eedigas, and Namdharis, has long sought representation in electoral politics. He emphasized the presence of a substantial Billava voter base, totaling 12 lakh voters, across Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, and Shivamogga districts. Surathkal pointed out that despite this demographic strength, the BJP had not fielded a Billava candidate for over three decades. However, this year, Kota Srinivas Poojary has been nominated as the BJP candidate from the Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency after a hiatus of 33 years.
Regarding the Congress, Surathkal noted that the party had selected a Bunt candidate for the Dakshina Kannada constituency following the unsuccessful Lok Sabha campaigns of veteran leader B Janardhana Poojary.
Surathkal also outlined the efforts of the SNGV in advocating for the advancement of various backward communities, including their advocacy for representation in development boards, the inclusion of Narayana Guru's teachings in textbooks, and the renaming of airports in Mangaluru and Shivamogga.
The SNGV announced its support for Padmaraj R of the Congress in Dakshina Kannada, Kota Srinivas Poojary of the BJP in Udupi-Chikmagalur, and Geetha Shivaraj Kumar, the Congress candidate, in Shimoga. Surathkal assured personal involvement in campaigning for these candidates, expressing hope that their victory would lead to improved educational and economic conditions for the community members.
Responding to queries about his own candidacy, Surathkal lamented the lack of opportunity given to him by the BJP, attributing it to his caste and economic background. He criticized the party's preference for candidates who unquestioningly follow directives from party leaders, asserting his commitment to individuals who uphold self-dignity.
While Surathkal acknowledged the nomination of Kota Srinivas Poojary as a positive step, he maintained that there is room for debate on whether the selection truly represents the interests of the Billava community. He suggested alternative candidates who he believed could have been considered for the nomination based on their past performance in public service roles.
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B.Tech student dies by suicide in hostel room near Bengaluru: Police
Bengaluru, May 17: A first-year B.Tech student died allegedly by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in her hostel room at a private engineering college in Heelalige near Bengaluru, police said on Friday.
The deceased has been identified as Harshitha (18), they said.
According to the police, on Thursday evening, Harshitha was found hanging in her room which was allegedly locked from inside. A few students who saw her hanging body through the window alerted the college management. They broke open the door and rushed her to the hospital where she was declared brought dead.
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"She died by suicide. However, no suicide note was found from the spot. But we are probing the exact cause that might have led her to take this extreme step," a senior police officer said.
