Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Apr 19: Former MLA, Gopal Bhandary, who has been chosen to fight election from the local constituency on behalf of Congress, was approached by supporters of ticket aspirant, Muniyal Uday Kumar Shetty, on Wednesday April 18 and pressurized to withdraw from the election. It is said that Bhandary told them that he would convey their opinion to the party high command and would obey the diktat of the party leadership.

It is said that the people who claimed themselves to be supporters of Muniyal, asked Bhandary to pave way for their leader this time. They reportedly threatened Bhandary that failing compliance, they will make sure that 203 booths in the constituency will not have have polling agents and they will not allow holding of any kind of campaign in the constituency.

Bhandary said that he had agreed to fight the election under the advice of former chief minister, Dr M Veerappa Moily, and high command of the party. "I do not get bogged down by threats. I might be weak financially but I am being loved by lacs of voters from my constituency. I have no plans of filing complaints against peole who seem to have been egged on by some others to do so. I am sure that after realizing the truth, they will repent," he added.

Addressing meetings of party workers at Hebri and Shivapura on Wednesday, Bhandary confessed that he had never been insulted to this extent by opponents including BJP workers. "I am extremely hurt at the obscene words used against me and my parents. I have been in politics since the last 40 years. Party workers are my backbone and therefore I have enough courage to face any eventuality. Accompanied by party workers, I will file nomination papers on April 20," hedisclosed.

Hebri block Congress president, Nire Krishna Shetty, campaign committee president, Mudrady Manjunath Poojary, observer, Bharat Mundody, block Congress women's wing president, Sujata Laxman Acharya and others were present.