Congress stages protest rally in Mangaluru against attack on MLC Ivan D'Souza's residence
Mangaluru: The Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee organized a protest rally in Mangaluru on Friday, condemning the recent attack on the residence of senior Congress MLC Ivan D'Souza. The rally, which began at D'Souza's house in Valencia and concluded at Kankanady Circle, was in response to the stone-pelting incident on Wednesday night, allegedly carried out by BJP and Sangh Parivar activists.
The attack on D'Souza's house is believed to have been sparked by his strong criticism of Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, following the Governor's decision to grant permission for the prosecution of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The CM is facing allegations related to illegal site allocations under the Mysore Urban Development Authority (MUDA).
During the protest, Congress leaders and party members marched from Valencia to Kankanady Circle, chanting slogans against the BJP, whose activists have been accused of involvement in the attack. The rally culminated in a protest meeting on the footpath near Kankanady Circle, where police had set up barricades to prevent further escalation.
MLC Ivan D'Souza, along with District Congress President Harish Kumar, KPCC Spokesperson MG Hegde, former MLA JR Lobo, and other Congress leaders including PV Mohan and Deviprasad Shetty, addressed the gathering. They condemned the attack and called for justice.
In light of the protest, police security was increased along the rally route. Hundreds of police personnel were deployed to maintain order and ensure the safety of participants, with barricades placed at Kankanady Circle as a precautionary measure.
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AIMIM wins Malegaon Central seat by 162 votes
Malegaon (Maharashtra), Nov 23: In a closely contested election, Mohammad Ismail Abdul Khalique of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) has retained the Malegaon Central assembly seat, winning by a razor-thin margin of 162 votes.
This victory in the north Maharashtra constituency marks a significant turnaround for Khalique, who previously enjoyed a commanding lead in the 2019 elections, winning by over one lakh votes.
Khalique, an Islamic scholar, received a total of 1,09,653 votes this time, narrowly defeating his nearest rival, Asif Shaikh Rasheed of the Indian Secular Largest Assembly of Maharashtra party, who got 1,09,491 votes.
There were a total of 13 candidates contesting in this Muslim dominated constituency. Barring Khalique and Rasheed, two other candidates -- Shaan-e-Hind Nihal Ahmed of Samajwadi Party and Ejaz Baig Aziz Baig managed below 10,000 votes. Other remaining candidates were below 1,000 votes.
This election marks Khalique's third term as an MLA. He initially represented the Malegaon Central seat in 2009 as a member of the Jan Surajya Shakti party.
However, Khalique faced a setback in the 2014 elections when he contested under the banner of the Nationalist Congress Party and lost.
His return to the assembly in 2019 under the AIMIM banner solidified his political presence, and despite the significantly reduced margin this year, he has once again emerged victorious.
The results highlight the competitive nature of the Malegaon Central constituency and underscore Khalique's resilience in maintaining his position amidst changing political dynamics.
