Congress feels the heat in Kolar, Chickballapur

Upset over denial of ticket to their leaders, a section Congress workers in Kolar and Chickballapur districts resorted to protests and threatened to resign from party posts as well as from elected bodies.

Office ransacked

Congress functionaries staged a protest outside the party office in Mulbagal town, condemning the party’s decision to issue ticket to MLA Amaresh from the Mulbagal Assembly constituency (SC). A large number of enraged workers set tyres on fire on the road and ransacked the party office.

They said they had appealed to party leaders against giving ticket to Mr. Amaresh, alleging that he had neglected party workers. They had cited the MLA’s conviction by a local court in a forgery case as one of the reasons for not giving him ticket again (the district court later stayed his conviction). The party, which had announced that those facing charges would not be given ticket, however, decided to field Mr. Amaresh again as his conviction has been stayed.

High command blamed

Denial of ticket to Roopakala, daughter of Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises K.H. Muniyappa, to contest from Kolar Gold Fields (SC) seat, has resulted in dissidence, with Congress functionaries threatening to quit party posts as well as their posts in elected bodies. The upset party workers blamed the party high command for denying ticket to Ms. Roopakala.

Though Ms. Roopakala’s name was recommended unanimously for the KGF seat by all the block committees concerned and the district unit, the party issued ticket to V. Shankar, said Radhakrishna Reddy, president of the Betamangala block Congress committee.

“We have submitted a memorandum to the high command seeking a review of its decision,” he told journalists in Kolar on Tuesday.

Damaged

The situation is not different in Chickballapur district. Supporters of the district Congress committee president M. Anjanappa, who has been denied ticket to contest from the Chickballapur constituency, threw stones at the party office, smashing windowpanes. They vented their ire anger against Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily and the former Union Minister S.M. Krishna for denying ticket to their leader. The party has fielded Sudhakar in the constituency.

While Mr. Anjanappa wept before the media, one of his supporters used unparliamentary words against Mr. Krishna.

Mr. Anjanappa’s supporters urged him to enter the election fray as an Independent.