Bangalore: Angry protest, immolation bid - Congress finds revolt hard to handle

Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)

Bangalore, Apr 2: Angry Congress party workers, people who are up in arms against certain candidates, supporters of candidates who seem to be losing in the race etc held a massive protest in front of the party’s office at Queens Road here on Monday April 1.

In addition, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwar, and opposition leader in the assembly Siddaramaiah, who returned from New Delhi on Monday, are compelled to handle the situation with all their tact, as differences of opinion are likely to result in desertion of party and filing of nomination by disgruntled party workers as independents.

In the meanwhile, a supporter of ticket aspirant, P N Krishnamurty, demanding ticket for his leader from Rajarajeshwarinagar assembly constituency in the city, poured kerosene on himself and made a self-immolation bid. The police intervened, foiled his attempt, and took him into custody. Siddaramaiah, complaining of variation in blood pressure and gastric problems, has got himself admitted into a hospital.

The protestors were against putting up candidates like C S Putte Gowda, who recently crossed over from JD(S) to Congress, from Shravanabelagola constituency, Muniratna, a corporator of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) from Rajarajeshwari Nagar, and Tejaswini Sriramesh from Bangalore (south) constituency.

Several BBMP corporators and office bearers of Gottigere block Congress committee have expressed anger at the clearance of Tejaswini’s name, terming her as a rank outsider. Geeta Rajanna, aspirant from Turuvekere, is angry at the decision of allotting ticket to K Manju, a film producer.

“Manju was also identified with KJP, and the leaders, who guaranteed me a ticket from here under women’s quota, deceived me,” she said.

The Congress office looked like having been swarmed by a sea of humanity holding placards and shouting slogans, and the police had to put up barricades to stop them. The leaders are worried that the rebellion might spread like wild fire once the official list of selected candidates is released. In order to be able to handle the protestors, the party is believed to be planning to release lists of selected candidates in batches spread over several days, it is said.