Mangaluru: The BJP High Command on Thursday announced its list of candidates for the 21 constituencies of the state, while it has not named candidates who will contest from seven other constituencies.
Amidst calls of oppositions from within the party against Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, the BJP high command persisted with the sitting MP and handed him the party ticket for the third consecutive LS elections.
He was earlier given ticket in 2009 and 2014 by the party high command, wherein he won on both the occasions defeating Congress’ Janardhan Poojary each time.
This time around Sangh Parivar leader Satyajit Suratkal had demanded ticket for him and had gathered support for himself within the party. But the oarty high command persisted with the two-time MP and has banked upon him to win the constituency for the party.
In 2009, Kateel won the election against Congress candidate Janardhan Poojary by over 40,000 votes, while in 2014 he defeated Poojary by 1.43 lakh votes.
There's always been a debate how Nalin Kumar has failed to develop the constituency and in such a scenario it will be interesting to see who the Congress party will select to contest against the two times MP.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
