MP assembly polls: Congress expels 39 leaders for contesting against party's official candidates
Bhopal (PTI): The Congress in Madhya Pradesh has expelled 39 leaders from the party's primary membership for six years for contesting the upcoming state assembly elections against the party's official candidates, its functionary said.
These 39 leaders were expelled from the Congress on the directives of the party' state unit chief Kamal Nath, a release issued by the party's state vice-president Rajiv Singh said.
These expelled leaders are contesting elections either as independent candidates or on the ticket of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), it said.
Some of the prominent names against whom the action was taken include former MP Premchand Guddu (Alot), former MLA Antar Singh Darbar (Mhow), former MLA Yadvendra Singh (Nagod), state party spokesman Ajay Singh Yadav (Khargapur), Nasir Islam (Bhopal North) and Amir Aqueel (Bhopal North).
Elections to the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly will be held on November 17.
While the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is striving to remain at the helm, the opposition Congress is endeavouring to push the saffron party out of power.
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Coastal Karnataka History Summit logo unveiled in Bhatkal; call for research papers issued
Bhatkal: Preparations are under way for the upcoming Coastal Karnataka History Summit, with the official logo of the academic event unveiled at Dawat Centre by Students Islamic Organisation of India Bhatkal Unit in Bhatkal on February 22, 2026. The summit is scheduled to be held on May 5, 2026.
The initiative is being organised by the Centre for Education and Research & Analysis (CERA) with the aim of documenting and examining the historical evolution of Coastal Karnataka, including Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and adjoining areas of Kasaragod.
At the launch event, the organisers released the official Call for Papers, inviting scholars, researchers, academicians and students to submit original and unpublished research. Abstracts of 200 words, either in English or Kannada, must clearly mention the research question, methodology and key findings. The deadline for abstract submission is February 28, 2026. Selected participants will be informed by March 15, and full papers must be submitted by April 20.
The summit will centre around five broad themes. One section will explore the trade and economic networks of the coastal belt, including maritime routes, port towns, fisheries and commodity-based exchanges such as pepper trade. Another domain will examine social structures, caste formations and inter-community relations, along with the role of Islamic, Arab, Persian and local traditions in shaping the region’s cultural fabric.
A separate section will focus on the origin and growth of linguistic communities such as Tulu, Konkani, Beary, Moya Malayalam and Navayati. Governance and administration under different rulers — including the Alupa dynasty, Rani Abbakka, Tipu Sultan, the Nawaith Sultans of Bhatkal and developments after Independence — will also be studied. The fifth theme will highlight social reformers such as Narayana Guru, Syed Madani, Malik Deenar, Vakkom Moulavi, Sayyid Fazl Pasha and Kudmul Ranga Rao, and their contributions to education and social reform.
The logo launch programme was attended by senior journalist Dr. Haneef Shabab, JIH Bhatkal President Moulana Syed Zubair SM, SIO Bhatkal President Mohammed Zayan Bangali, Unit Secretary Githreef Rida Manvi and Media Secretary Mashaikh Talish.
Organisers said the summit intends to create a structured academic space for discussing the region’s layered past and bringing local histories into wider public and scholarly discourse. For submissions and queries, researchers may contact
coastalkarnatakahistorysummit@gmail.com
