K'taka polls: Denied ticket, Congressman vandalises party office, another wants bandh

A Congress ticket aspirant has been booked by police in Mandya for vandalising his own party's office, while another Congress leader has called for a bandh in Kalghatgi taluk in Dharwad. Both the leaders are angry that they were not given a ticket to contest in the Assembly polls.

According to police, Ganiga Ravikumar and his supporters entered the Congress office in Bandi Gowda and broke chairs.

The Mandya West Police have registered an FIR against Ganiga Ravikumar and his supporters under sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 149 (crime committed by unlawful assembly), 448 (trespassing), 427 (mischief, causing damage to property) based on a complaint filed by Assistant Sub-Inspector Doddaiah, Mandya West Police Station. Few of his supporters were also detained,.

Sub-Inspector Doddaiah was part of the security team when the protesters indulged in violence.

Ravikumar and his supporters had taken police permission to conduct a protest march from Sanjay Circle to the Congress office, police said.

This is not the only instance, the ruling Congress in Karnataka is facing major backlash a day after it released its list of 218 candidates.

There has been violence on the streets, vandalism and mock funerals, all targeting the district or state leadership.

In stark contrast, Brijesh Kalappa, CM’s legal advisor and Supreme Court lawyer who missed a ticket from Madikeri put up a sober Facebook post, voicing his dejection.

Uday Kumar Shetty in Udupi staged a mock funeral of former CM Veerappa Moily.

However sources in the Congress tell that HS Chandramouli who was named as the Madikeri candidate may not eventually make it.  

Uday Kumar Shetty was seeking a ticket from Karkala, the same place from where Veerapa Moily was apparently trying to push his son Harsha. According to him, Gopal Bhandary was handpicked by Moily after junior Moily went out of the race over an inappropriate tweet.

Similarly, Rukimini Savukara who was seeking a ticket from Raebennur has left the party to contest as an independent.

The BJP too is facing dissidence after it released its list of 154 candidates. Brothers Hemachandra and Ranchandra left the party to join the JD(S) to get tickets from their favoured seats of Chickpete and Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

In Gulbarga, former MLC Sashil Namoshi who missed out on the ticket broke down before the media while expressing his shock and disappointment for missing out on a ticket.

Speculation is also rife that Beluru Gopalakrishna will leave the party after missing out in Sagar constituency.