Davanagere : JD(S) Worker Killed in Clash in Harihar

The Hindu

DAVANGERE, May 1: Vijayakumar Kondajji, a Janata Dal (Secular) worker, was killed in Harihar on Thursday evening in an election-related incident.

There was an altercation between Mr. Kondajji’s wife Honnamma, a polling agent in a booth in Harihar, and a few Bharatiya Janata Party workers before the end of polling. The BJP workers allegedly abused Ms. Honnamma for supporting the Congress candidate. On learning about the incident, Kondajji rushed to the polling booth and had an argument with the BJP workers. There was a verbal clash between workers of the Janata Dal (S) and BJP outside the booth, which led to a fistfight. Some of them also indulged in stone throwing. Kondajji sustained a head injury in the stone-throwing incident. He was taken to a government hospital, where he died later.

As the news of Kondajji’s death spread, there was tension in Harihar town and all shops and other business establishments downed shutters. The police had a tough time controlling the crowd near Kondajji’s house.

Congress candidate for Davangere Lok Sabha constituency S.S. Mallikarjun visited the house and spoke to Honnamma.

Honnamma, a councillor in the Harihar City Municipal Council, was a Congress polling agent. Several Janata Dal (S) workers in Davangere are supporting the Congress candidate. The Janata Dal (S) has called for Harihar bandh on Friday demanding the Government to institute a high-level inquiry into the incident.

Meanwhile, Mallikarjun demanded that the police arrest district in-charge Minister S.A. Ravindranath for allegedly instigating his party workers to clash with Janata Dal (S) workers.

The police have registered a case against eight BJP workers, including Harihar MLA B.P. Harish. Superintendent of Police Sandeep Patil is camping in Harihar.