Two sitting MLAs from Dakshina Kannada misses out on BJP ticket
Mangaluru: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) announced its list of 189 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka elections, with a few unexpected changes in the Dakshina Kannada district. The announcement came on Sunday, with a few major surprises in store for the people of Karnataka.
One of the most noteworthy changes is the ticket given to Bhagirathi Murulya from Sullia, leaving the incumbent minister Angara out of the race. This decision has come as a shock to many as Angara was considered a strong candidate in the region.
In another unexpected move, the BJP has given the ticket to Ex-G.P. Member Satish Kumpala from Mangalore (Ullala). This decision has raised eyebrows, as Kumpala was not seen as a frontrunner for the ticket.
Former Zilla Panchayat president Asha Thimmappa Gowda has also been given the ticket from Puttur, leaving sitting MLA Sanjiva Mathandur out of the race.
However, all other sitting MLAs in the Dakshina Kannada district have been given tickets again. Vedavyasa Kamath from Mangalore South, Dr. Bharat Shetty from Mangalore North. Rajesh Naik from Bantwala, Umanath Kotyan from Moodbidri, and Harish Poonja from Belthangady will again be BJP candidates.
The BJP's decision to field new faces in some constituencies has come as a surprise to many, especially in Dakshina Kannada district, which is considered a BJP stronghold.
The Karnataka elections are scheduled to be held on May 1, and the results will be declared on May 13.
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Suspected drones observed along IB in Jammu's Samba, being engaged: Army
Jammu, May 12 (PTI): Security forces are engaging suspected drones observed along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu region on Monday, an Army said.
This fresh incident of drone activity along the borderline comes barely hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first address to the nation following Operation Sindoor and the meeting of the DGMOs of India and Pakistan.
The Army, however, said there is no need to be alarmed.
“A small number of suspected drones have been observed near Samba in J&K. They are being engaged,” it said.
In the backdrop of the situation, several areas witnessed blackouts in Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Jammu.
Lights were switched off at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and along its track as a precautionary measure, sources said.
On Monday, talks between the DGMOs were held during which issues related to the continuing commitment that both sides must not fire a single shot or initiate any aggressive or inimical action against each other were discussed, the Indian Army said.
It was also agreed that both sides would consider immediate measures to ensure troop reduction along the borders and in forward areas, it added.
The situation remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir, with no incidents of ceasefire violation reported along the Indo-Pak border Sunday overnight — marking the first calm night after 18 days of hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people — mostly tourists — dead.
India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding to cease all firing and military actions on land, air, and sea with immediate effect, following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes that brought the two countries to the brink of full-scale war.
Eighteen days of intense hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, ended with a ceasefire that restored calm along the Line of Control, the International Border, and the hinterland in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army thwarted Pakistan’s Hamas-style kamikaze drone attacks during the escalation.
Since the night of April 24, hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani troops repeatedly targeted Indian positions along the LoC — beginning in the Kashmir Valley and quickly expanding to the Jammu region.
The latest hostilities began in the northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, before spreading southwards to Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, and the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district. The firing affected five border districts — Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu.
The recent round of cross-border firing further undermined the ceasefire agreement reached in February 2021, which has largely been seen as ineffective due to Pakistan’s frequent violations along the 740-km-long LoC.
The April 22 terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people — mostly tourists — in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley, triggered a strong response from the central government.
The India-Pakistan border stretches over 3,300 kilometers, divided into three segments: the International Border (IB), spanning about 2,400 km from Gujarat to Akhnoor in Jammu; the 740-km-long Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir; and the 110-km-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), which separates the Siachen Glacier region.
WATCH: OP Sindoor continues. Minutes after PM Speech.
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) May 12, 2025
A small numbers of suspected drones being observed near Samba in J&K. Being engaged . pic.twitter.com/jmGmRkmQ26
