Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 25: The district committee of BJP organized a meeting near the bus stand here in the evening of Thursday July 24, protesting against the action of local MP Manorama Madhwaraj in violating the whip issued by the party and remaining neutral by abstaining from the crucial trust vote.

Daring torrential rains, many people attended the meeting. State Third Finance Commission chairman A G Kodgi, who was the guiding force behind Manorama's decision to quit the Congress and become a BJP MP, noted that many from the district had in the past, deserted BJP. But, Manorama is the first MP to have betrayed the party. "I made the mistake of ensuring allotment of a ticket to her in the last election and also securing her a parliamentary membership without having her to spend anything in bargain. I sincerely apologize to the party leaders and the voters for this blunder I committed," he said.

He also demanded a resignation from Manorama Madhwaraj to the MP seat she is holding on to at present, before July 26, failing which he warned of initiating a series of protests and dharnas in front of her residence.

He charged Manorama with purposefully staying away from the electioneering during the recent assembly election on the pretext that she was suffering from sore eyes, concealing the actual reason behind the decision, which was her love for her son who contested as a Congress candidate.

District BJP leaders Somashekhar Bhat, Tingale Vikramarjun Hegde, Gujjadi Prabhakar nayak, Uday Kumar Shetty, Dinkar Shetty, Katpadi Shankar Poojary, Suprasad Shetty, Karkada Raju Poojary, Sudhakar Shetty and several others were present.