Ballari MP Ugrappa to focus on key areas in remaining term
New Delhi, Nov 16: Newly elected Congress MP from Karnataka's Ballari, V.S Ugrappa Friday said he would focus on drinking water, health and infrastructure in the remaining five months of his tenure.
Ugrappa won the Ballari seat in the recent Lok Sabha by-polls by a margin of more than 2.43 lakh votes, defeating BJP's J Shantha, sister of B Sriramulu, a key aide of the controversial mining barons-- the Reddy brothers and former MP from there.
He will take oath as the Member of Parliament (MP)during the winter session of the House.
"There has not been any development in Ballari and there are many problems like farmers distress, poverty, unemployment among others. I will not say that I will bring big reforms in the next five months. I will at least focus on priority issues," the Congress leader told reporters here.
The priority areas could be providing safe drinking water, health, better roads besides ensuring procurement of paddy, he said.
Ugrappa, close aide of former chief minister Siddaramaiah, also indicated that he might get the ticket to contest in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from the same constituency, considering his victory in the by-poll with a huge margin.
The by-poll results will have an impact on the upcoming general elections, he said, adding the mood of the people in the southern state was in favour of the ruling Congress-JD(S) alliance.
The Ballari constituency, which had remained a BJP stronghold since 2004, is reserved for candidates belonging to the Scheduled Tribes. It is one of the 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state.
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Eid al-Fitr celebrated with great joy, devotion in Dakshina Kannada
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Mangaluru: Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, was celebrated by Muslims in Dakshina Kannada on Friday with great joy and fervor.
They gathered in large numbers and offered Namaz with devotion in mosques, where Eid Khutba and spiritual discourse were organized, after which, they shared wishes with hand shakes and hugs.
Later, they visited the graves of deceased family members and prayed for the departed souls.
The Muslims, from children to elderly citizens, dressed themselves in new clothes, applied 'attar' and had special food and sweets prepared for Eid.
They also visited their relatives', friends' and neighbors' houses and wished them for the festival.
At the Eidgah Juma Masjid on Lighthouse Hill in Mangaluru, DK District Qazi Alhaj Twaka Ahmed Musliyar recited the Khutba.
The Eid Namaz was held under the leadership of Khatib Syed Shamsuddin Basit Ba Alavi Tanl Al Ansari of Zeenat Bakhsh Kendra Juma Masjid, Bandar.
President of the Zeenat Bakhsh Kendra Juma Masjid and Eidgah Juma Masjid, Alhaj Yenepoya Abdullah Kunhi, Vice President K Ashraf, Treasurer SM Rashid Haji and others participated.
Assembly Speaker UT Khader, MLC Ivan D'Souza, City Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy and other officials paid a cordial visit and wished them on the occasion.
Eid Namaz and Khutba were offered at the Ullal Kendra Juma Masjid under the leadership of Khatib Hafil Abdul Majeed Falili Hikami Sakhafi, with Ullal Dargah President BJ Hanif Haji and others participating in the celebration. 
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