BJP and Congress in tight fight in Dakshina Kannada district as election fever rises
Mangaluru: In Dakshina Kannada, a district long dominated by the BJP, the upcoming election is shaping up to be a close contest with the Congress fielding former Union Minister and Senior Congress leader B Janardhan's Pujari disciple Padmaraj against the BJP's candidate, former army officer Captain Brijesh Chowta.
The BJP has made a significant change by denying a ticket to sitting MP Nalin Kumar Kateel and instead fielding Chowta. Both Chowta and Padmaraj hold important positions in their respective parties at the state level, adding to the intensity of the competition.
The Bahujan Samaj Party has announced Kantappa Alangar as its official candidate, adding another dimension to the race in addition to the strong forces of the BJP and Congress.
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Candidates from both parties have begun their election preparations by seeking blessings from religious leaders, but the true nature of the competition will only be revealed after nomination papers are submitted.
Unlike the previous election where both BJP and Congress candidates belonged to the Bunt community, this time the Congress has fielded a candidate from the Billava community, a move seen as an attempt to appeal to a decisive voter base for the BJP. The effectiveness of this strategy will be evident in the election results.
Both BJP and Congress candidates are not grassroots workers of their parties but have used their influence to secure tickets, leading to discontent among some senior leaders. Despite being denied a ticket, Nalin Kumar Kateel has expressed satisfaction with the party's decision, highlighting his achievements as a Member of Parliament.
For B. Janardana Pujari, a veteran Congress leader, this election holds significance as he has been striving to re-enter Parliament after several unsuccessful attempts. The Congress high command has strategically given responsibilities to seniors to avoid upsetting those who were aspiring for tickets.
As election fever slowly rises amidst challenges such as the scorching summer heat and drinking water problems, the battle for Dakshina Kannada district is expected to be closely watched.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
