Irate Janata Dal (Secular) workers set fire to the party office in H.D. Kote on Tuesday after their leader C.V. Nagaraj was denied ticket to contest the zilla panchayat elections from Hampapura constituency.
About 15 to 20 supporters Mr. Nagaraj, who is also the party’s H.D. Kote block president, marched to the office and smashed the doors and windows. Later, they ransacked the party office, throwing the furniture and files, before setting it on fire.
Fire and Emergency Services rushed to the spot and doused the fire. Additional Superintendent of Police Kala Krishnaswamy said the police is yet to make arrests in the case. However, sources said supporters were angry after the ‘B’ form was sent directly to the election officer in the name of Eere Gowda, another aspirant.
Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency MLA and JD(S) leader G.T. Deve Gowda said party leaders preferred Eere Gowda over Mr. Nagaraj and Rajendra, who had also filed nomination in anticipation of party ticket. He expressed hope that other contenders would withdraw from the fray.Discontentment seems to be brewing in all major political parties over the distribution of party tickets. On Monday, the last date for filing nominations, 590 candidates filed nominations to 49 zilla panchayat seats in the district. While 128 candidates filed papers as Congress and JD(S) candidates, 112 candidates filed nominations as BJP candidates.
Similiarly, 187 taluk panchayat constituencies in the district received 1,335 nominations, including 390 from the Congress, 301 from BJP and 287 from JD(S).
With mainstream political parties issuing only one ‘B’ form for each seat, the remaining candidates, who had filed nominations in anticipation of party nomination, were believed to be disappointed.
JD(S) leader G.T. Deve Gowda said leaders preferred Eere Gowda over Nagaraj
