Former Mayor Ashraf to quit Congress

[email protected] (CD Network)
October 13, 2011

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Mangalore, October 12: Former Mangalore Mayor K Ashraf, who had played the resignation card for the first time in January, protesting B Janardhan Poojary's “dictatorship”, has now taken a firm decision to bid adieu to the Congress party.

With this, the in-fighting in Dakshina Kannada District Congress committee has spilled out in the open once again, despite repeated patch-up bids.

In a bulk SMS sent to his friends in the media, the first president of the newly formed Mangalore City Block Congress unit, made it clear that he would not remain a Congressman anymore.

“I, K Ashraf, hereby declare my resignation from the basic membership of the Congress party. The decision will be officially announced on October 14 in Mangalore Press Club” stated the short SMS.

It can be mentioned here that Mr Ashraf had expressed frustration over the lack of support from the party leaders and their followers during his crisis times.

He also had blamed the hand of a “few envious Congress leaders of Poojary group” in fixing his “innocent son” in a drug cartel case.

The final blow seems to be the FIR purportedly filed against his son and few others for allegedly threatening a drug victim at Athena Hospital in city.

Mr Ashraf lamented that there are a people in Congress, who are BJP-minded. “They also made life miserable for Lance Lott pinto, the Opposition Leader in MCC”, he said.

“The concerned SI in this case is acting at the behest of certain people”, he said adding that this SI had been creating trouble for him even when he was in Bunder police station.

He said that the assurance given by Mangalore City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh that nothing would happen to him and his son, has proved wrong.

“The party leaders could not protect my interest. How can I protect the interest of the party workers if situation continues like this?” he asked.

The father in Mr Ashraf has made it clear that he wanted to fight his son's case with the support of likeminded people from any organisation.

Mr Ashraf, who had begun his Congress career over two decades ago as a staunch follower of 'Saala Mela' famed party veteran, gradually occupied several posts of responsibility within the party organisation.

He also said that his recent proximity with another Congress heavyweight and former Chief Minister M Veerappa Moily, had been a problem for Poojary and his “chelas”.

Being elected as a member of Mangalore City Corporation for three terms and having served as the mayor for a year, Ashraf was elevated to the responsible post of the president of newly formed Mangalore City Block Congress unit last year.

However, the same elevation ultimately led to his alienation within the party, as Mr Poojary had allegedly humiliated him in front of a huge crowd at a programme organised by the Dakshina Kannada District Congress Committee to formally handover the new responsibility to him.

He had been keeping a low profile ever since he was made the office bearer and was not seen any of the party forum in the recent past apparently due to the treatment meted out to him by one group of the party

In the wake of increased enthusiasm in another former Congress leader MG Hegde after joining JD (S), former Mayor's resignation has raised curiosity among the people over his next move.

Meanwhile, Mr Ashraf's BJP counterparts in MCC have also confirmed that the present trouble to the former is fomented by his own party colleagues.

He said that he a got a call from former BJP Mayor Shankar Bhat, who apparently told him that they have not applied any pressure to book case against his son.


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News Network
August 7,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 7: Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka has said that state was prepared to tackle COVID-19 and flood situation.

"Today I had a meeting with officials from disaster management, housing, Police, agriculture departments. The government is ready to tackle both the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the flood situation," he told news agency.

The minister said he had held a meeting with officials to take precautionary measures.
"I sanctioned Rs 20 crore to the Fire Department to purchase the equipment for rescue operations. I have already announced red alert in six districts. Tomorrow, I will visit Kodagu, Chikmagalur to assess rescue operations. NDRF reached have teams for rescue operations," he said.

"We are monitoring all dams. Last time we got more floods because of dams. I have instructed to all district collectors that 70 per cent water be filled in dams. Remaining water be sent to canals. We are expecting more rains in nine districts this year," he added.

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News Network
March 3,2020

Bengaluru, Mar 3: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu has said that a medical team is monitoring the health condition of all those people who had stayed with the coronavirus-hit techie who is admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad.

The first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Telangana was reported from Hyderabad on Monday where a man from Bengaluru, who recently returned from Dubai, tested positive for the virus.

"It has come to our knowledge that the coronavirus-hit person in Hyderabad had gone from Bengaluru. Therefore, all the members in the house where he had stayed here have been identified and are under watch," Mr Sriramulu tweeted on late Monday night.

The minister said he has convened a meeting with the additional chief secretary, commissioner and other senior officials of the health department today.

"Our government has initiated all the measures to prevent the spread of this virus," the minister said.

It is learnt that the 24-year-old techie had not contracted it when he was in Bengaluru but all precautionary measures have been taken.

The software engineer, who works in Bengaluru, had worked with people from Hong Kong in Dubai last month where he is suspected to have contracted the virus, Telangana health minister E Rajender told reporters in Hyderabad.

The man reached Bengaluru on February 19/20 and later went to Hyderabad in a bus.

He took treatment for fever after coming to Hyderabad and was admitted to a private super speciality hospital in the city. As it did not subside, he came to the state-run Gandhi hospital on Sunday evening, Mr Rajender said.

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News Network
January 17,2020

Bengaluru, Jan 17: Chief minister BS Yediyurappa is likely to induct new ministers into his cabinet only after he returns from Davos, Switzerland, on January 25.

Yediyurappa will leave for Davos on January 19 to participate in the World Economic Forum’s 50th annual meet.

Sources say Yediyurappa is keen on expanding his cabinet before he leaves for Davos and is still trying to secure the green signal from BJP national president Amit Shah. However, Shah has cold-shouldered Yediyurappa’s several requests for a meeting to discuss the issue.

Shah is scheduled to visit Karnataka on January 18 to participate in a pro-Citizenship (Amendment) Act rally in Hubballi and the CM plans to corner him there. But, given the time constraint, Yediyurappa is likely to put off the exercise till he returns from Davos even if Shah extends approval.

“Even if Shah gives the green signal, Yediyurappa will have less than 24 hours to expand his cabinet,” a source said. “It is highly unlikely he will rush through the process of inducting ministers. Also, his presence is required to douse disgruntlement which is bound to arise once the new ministers are sworn in.”

The CM and the party high command are on different pages as far as cabinet expansion is concerned. While Yediyurappa is hell-bent on keeping his promise of inducting all the newly elected MLAs, who switched from Congress and JD(S) to the BJP, Shah is keen on sharing vacant berths equally between loyal MLAs and the new entrants. There are 16 cabinet berths vacant.

Shah, sources said, is of the opinion that giving 12 berths to the turncoats will lead to heartburn among loyalists and it will impact the party’s prospects in the next election. “Moreover, he is of the opinion that none of the turncoats have mass appeal, nor do they have any administrative experience. This, he thinks, will impact governance,” said a source.

This has resulted in a deadlock and the issue has dragged on for a month now.

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