R Ashoka appointed as Mandya district in-charge Minister ahead of Assembly polls

With ruling BJP focused on winning more seats in the 'Old Mysuru' region, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday appointed Revenue Minister R Ashoka as the Mandya district in-charge Minister.

Published on: Jan 25, 2023, 09:29:10 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

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With ruling BJP focused on winning more seats in the 'Old Mysuru' region, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday appointed Revenue Minister R Ashoka as the Mandya district in-charge Minister. The Vokkaliga dominated Mandya district is a major constituent of the Old Mysuru region, and Ashoka is considered to be a prominent BJP leader hailing from the community.

Karnataka Revenue Minister R Ashoka. (PTI) (HT_PRINT)

Ashoka will replace Excise Minister K Gopalaiah, who was in-charge of the district along with Hassan. Stating that Gopalaiah was appointed as district in-charge Minister for Mandya on January 24, 2022, an official notification said, Minister R Ashoka has been appointed replacing him, with immediate effect. It said, the notification has been issued on the directions of the Chief Minister.

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The BJP is considered to be weak in the Old Mysuru region, especially in Mandya district, and is focusing on this belt to gain complete majority in the Assembly polls scheduled in May. Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent visit to Mandya had asked BJP leaders and workers to work towards winning more seats in the region and the district, which is the bastion of JD(S), where Congress too is considerably strong.

Out of seven Assembly constituencies in Mandya district, presently six are represented by the JD(S), and BJP one. Narayanagowda, who had won 2018 Assembly polls on Congress' ticket from Krishnarajpet (K R Pet), later defected to the BJP and won the 2019 bypolls on its ticket from the same segment, giving the first ever win for the saffron party in the district. He is now a Minister in Bommai-led government.

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Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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