Will Congress field U T Ifthikar from Kasaragod LS seat?

coastaldigest.com web desk
March 13, 2019

Kasaragod/Mangaluru, Mar 13: The Indian National Congress, which has been trying to wrest Kasaragod Lok Sabha constituency from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for past three decades, is reportedly mulling to field U T Ifthikar Ali, younger brother of Karnataka’s minister for urban development and Dakshina Kannada district in-charge U T Khader, in the 17th Lok Sabha elections.  The coastal district of Kerala will go to polls on April 23.

According to party sources, Ifthikar’s name is among a few shortlisted Congress leaders’ names being considered by the high command to be fielded from Kasaragod. The list of aspirants from this segment also includes former Kasaragod MP B Rama Rai, senior advocate Subbaiah Rai and former Kannur MP Abdulla Kutty.

In 2014 Lok Sabha polls Congress had lost to CPI (M) leader  P Karunakaran with a small margin of around six thousand votes in Kasaragod, which has around 13.5 lakh voters including around 60 percent of Hindus and 30 percent of Muslims. Hence Congress is likely to prefer Ifthikar, whose family is known for promoting secularism and communal harmony in coastal Karnataka, sources said.

Even though Ifthikar, who is the Syndicate member of the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, is currently based in Mangaluru, he is not a stranger for the people of Kasaragod district as his family hails from Uppala region.

On the other hand Kasaragod too shares close ties with Mangaluru. In fact prior to the implementation of States Reorganisation Act, 1956, the present Legislative Assembly seats of Manjeswar, Kasaragod, Udma and Kanhangad in Kasaragod district were part of South Kanara (South) LS constituency of erstwhile Madras State. In 1956, South Kanara (South) LS constituency was replaced by Mangaluru LS constituency, which gradually became Dakshina Kannada constituency. The parts of Kasaragod and Hosdurg (Kanhangad) seats were merged with Kerala and became a part of Kasaragod LS constituency. Kasaragod still has a considerable number of Kannadigas that share an emotional bond with Karnataka.

Despite, hailing from a politically influential family, Ifthikar has so far refrained from electoral politics. However, elections are not new for him. He has been the “poll strategist” for his elder brother who has registered four successive victories in Mangaluru assembly constituency after the demise of his father and four-time MLA U T Fareed in 2007. Besides, Ifthikar enjoys close contact with several bigwigs of Congress including its supremo Rahul Gandhi and former union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. He also has maintained a good relationship with several prominent NRI businessmen from Kasaragod district and heads of educational institutions, hospitals in the region.

He is also a known personality in health, social, educational fields in costal belt of Karnataka and is president of Dakshina Kannada Physiotherapy Teachers Association, Sport & Fitness Training Federation of India and executive committee member of the Indian Association of Physiotherapy. As chairman of U T Fareed Foundation, he has undertaken many charity activities. Being a social activist he is involved in various social service activities.

While contacted, Ifthikar told coastaldigest.com that he has been associated with Congress since his college days and that he would not hesitate to jump into poll fray from Kasaragod if the party high command wishes. “I will abide by the high command’s decision,” he said.

Comments

Kannadiga
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

Kasargod will witness real development if a Kannadiga becomes its MP. Malayalees are showing step-motherly attitude towards the people of Kasargod.

Unni Krishna
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

Not a bad choice. Kasaragod also need some respite from communist politics. Let Congress field this handsome gentleman.

Anand T
 - 
Wednesday, 13 Mar 2019

UTI is the best choice for Kasaragod district. Efficient and people friendly. 

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News Network
March 24,2020

Udupi, Mar 24: Four people, including two women, suspected to have infected with Coron were admitted to the hospitals in Udupi district

According to the District Administration, in all, 51 samples were sent to the laboratory for test and 40 samples have been tested negative.

The result of remaining 11 swabs were awaited.

At least 21 people had been admitted to the isolation wards of hospitals in the district. Nine had been discharged from the isolation wards after they recovered from the health complications on Monday, it further said.

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News Network
February 5,2020

Bidar, Feb 5: The police has intensified investigation into the 'sedition case' against the management and staff of a school here, where children are facing chare of insulting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others, in the context of CAA, in a drama they staged on January 21.

The police again visited Shaheen School on Tuesday and questioned children and staff -- this time in plain clothes, after their questioning of children in uniform on January 28 drew criticism from some quarters, a school official said.

"Morning three police personnel came with two members of Karnataka State Child Rights Protection Commission. Later, the deputy superintendent of police H Basaveshwara joined them.

The cops were in civil dress," the official said.

The police have been questioning the children and staff about those who wrote the script and assigned to deliver specific dialogues.

Police have already arrested Nazbunnisa, the mother of one of the children, who had allegedly delivered the controversial dialogue and their teacher Fareeda Begum, who oversaw the event.

When contacted, the deputy superintendent of police of Bidar H Basaveshwara refused to comment on the matter saying that he was still investigating the case.

Meanwhile in Bengaluru, Congress MLA and former minister U T Khader slammed the BJP government in the state as well as the Centre for "filing sedition charges against people".

Addressing a press conference, he alleged that the Central and state governments were trying to suppress the voice of people in the country using law enforcement agencies.

Khader claimed that the two women who "depicted the problems they were facing" in the drama were booked under the sedition law. During investigation, the children were forced to sit at the police station, he alleged.

Comments

Ahmed Ali K.
 - 
Wednesday, 5 Feb 2020

Why No questions asked in Kalladka Prabhakar Batta school where the school childrens asked to show a demo of Babri Masjid demolition?

 

Why the police did'nt question the teacher team, Principal and the owner of the school??

 

because both schools owned by different people....!!

Indian Democracy.........................!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

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coastaldigest.com news network
March 23,2020

Mangaluru/Udupi, Mar 23: The coastal district of Dakshina Kannada including the city of Mangaluru today refused to return to normalcy from yesterday’s Janata Curfew, as the government imposed lockdown in the district till the month end to contain the Covid-19 caused by the deadly novel coronavirus.

The lockdown coupled with the prohibitory orders under Section 144 has forced all the commercial establishments barring few to remain closed in the district.

The police started issuing stern warning to the people through loudspeakers against venturing out of their homes unnecessarily. People are allowed to move only in case of any emergency or basic needs.

The police warning came after a few people started ignoring the lockdown and ban orders. A few private buses also were seen plying on the roads in the morning.

Under the proibitory orders, the district administration banned from venturing out of their homes except in case of emergency or extreme necessity. All public programmes including religious ceremonies, cultural programmes also are banned. All shops, commercial establishments, workshops and godowns with other unessential goods are supposed to remain closed. Bus service, both government and private, are to suspended. Mass prayers and religious ceremonies are not allowed in temples, mosques and churches. Beaches and other tourist spots are closed.

Udupi

The lockdown in 9 districts of Karnataka has forced many private buses in Udupi to stay off the roads for second day on Monday. Some buses plying between Udupi to Kundapur have resumed service a day after Janata Curfew, with very minimum occupancy.

Due to lockdown in Dakshina Kannada, all services operating from Mangaluru to Udupi, Manipal, and Kundapur have been suspended till the month end. Buses on Karkala-Udupi route have also stopped their operations.

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