BJP's central leadership pleased with Bommai's performance: Arun Singh
'to be CM candidate in poll-bound Karnataka'
Bengaluru, Oct 16: The BJP's central leadership is pleased with the performance of Basavaraj Bommai, the party's in-charge for Karnataka Arun Singh said on Sunday, and made it clear that he will be its Chief Ministerial candidate in the poll-bound State.
"They are very happy with Bommai, the kind of work he is doing," the party national General Secretary told PTI in an interview.
Singh was asked about the assessment of the party's central leadership on the performance of the Chief Minister Bommai, the role of BJP strongman B S Yediyurappa, the party's prospects in the Assembly elections, just a few months away, and whether it would project a Chief Ministerial candidate.
He said the BJP would create "history" in Karnataka by exceeding its own target of winning 150 Assembly seats of the total 224, as he highlighted the welfare and development schemes of the Modi and Bommai governments.
Singh said the ruling party would fight the polls under the leadership of Bommai and guidance of Yediyurappa, a four-time Chief Minister and currently a member of the party's central parliamentary board.
"Bommai is the Chief Minister. We are going to contest the elections when he is the Chief Minister. He is the Chief Ministerial candidate. There is no doubt," Singh said.
Describing Bommai, who replaced Yediyurappa as Chief Minister in July last year, as a simple, down-to-earth and polite man, Singh pointed to the former being referred to as "common man's CM" and said he has been drawing good response in public meetings.
"People of Karnataka feel he (Bommai) is like them", he said.
Yediyurappa is the "tallest" leader in Karnataka, and the BJP has his "guidance": Yediyurappa is touring the State to energise the party's cadre and is seeking votes to win 150 seats. "It's a big thing", Singh said.
On what the party is doing to deepen its base in Old Mysuru region (comprising districts such as Mandya, Ramanagara and Hassan), the traditional strongholds of the Congress and JD(S), he said the BJP has increased its tally multifold in the Gram Panchayat elections there.
"Our strength has increased considerably (in the region)," he said. "We will do 'chamatkar' (miracle) in Old Mysuru region this time."
He claimed that many leaders from the Congress and JD(S) in the Old Mysuru region, and 'Kalyana Karnataka' region (which includes districts like Bidar, Raichur and Kalaburagi) are going to join his party as they know that it's going to be the BJP that will form the government and "the future is with the BJP."
Singh sought to ridicule the Congress for setting itself a target of winning 150 seats in the State.
"They have been saying so (setting ambitious targets) in Goa, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur (before the last Assembly elections). They are wiped out. In Goa, out of 11 Congress MLAs, eight have left. 'Quit Congress Abhiyaan' is going on in the country."
The Rajya Sabha member termed the Rahul Gandhi-led 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' a "flop yatra".
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.
Pro-chancellor of St Aloysius University, Fr Melwin J Pinto SJ passes away at 63
_vb_92.jpeg)
Mangaluru: Fr Melwin J Pinto SJ, Pro-chancellor of St Aloysius University Rector of St Aloysius Institutions, and Vice President of Mangalore Jesuit Educational Society (MJES), breathed his last on Friday, April 10. He was 63.
Born in 1963, Fr Melwin Pinto completed his schooling and college education at St Aloysius before joining the Jesuit order on June 20, 1981. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest on April 14, 1997.
Over the years, he held several academic qualifications, including an MA in English, a Master’s degree in Education, and diplomas in psychology and counselling as well as school administration.
He began his career in education as headmaster of St Joseph’s Primary School and High School in Hassan, serving between 1996 and 1999.
He later founded St Joseph’s Indian PU College and served as its principal until 2007. He subsequently served as headmaster of St Aloysius High School, Mangaluru, from 2007 to 2011, and later as principal of St Joseph’s PU College, Hassan, until 2012.
Fr Melwin Pinto also worked with Vatican Communications and Radio in Rome, contributing to its English desk for Asia and Indian languages.
He later served as superior and director of Fatima Retreat House in Valencia for two years from May 2017, before being appointed as superior of the Jesuit study home ‘Vidyaniketan’ in Dharwad.
He was also closely associated with the development of St Aloysius Institutions and played a key role in securing the status of a Deemed-to-be University. His contribution to the education sector and efforts towards innovation were widely acknowledged. He was known for maintaining close relations with people from all sections of society.
Legislative Council MLA Ivan D’Souza, in a statement, said the demise of Fr Melwin J Pinto was a huge loss to the educational and religious fields and had created a significant void in society.
Dakshina Kannada District in-charge Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also expressed grief, stating that his service and contributions to education would always be remembered.
Details regarding the funeral are yet to be announced.
