Preetham Gowda files papers in Hassan, this time with a procession

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate J. Preetham Gowda filed a second set of nomination papers for the Assembly elections on Tuesday, which was the last day for nominees to fill in their paperwork.

Hundreds of people participated in a procession taken out by him on his way to the Returning Officer’s office. The procession began on Salagame Road and culminated on B.M. Road. Party workers waved BJP flags and raised slogans in his and Prime Minister’s Narendra Modi’s name. The procession held up traffic on Salagame Road, M.G. Road and B.M. Road for nearly two hours. According to political pundits in Hassan, the BJP attracted a huge crowd for the first time in the JD(S) bastion. Mr. Gowda was accompanied by BJP district president H. Yogaramesh, former MLA Kari Gowda and other party leaders.

Dissidence

Meanwhile, D. Ashok Kattaya, who was an aspirant for the BJP ticket in Hassan, resigned from his post as general secretary of the party’s district unit. At a press conference, Mr. Kattaya said BJP State president B.S. Yeddyurappa had promised him the ticket. “I have been with Yeddyurappa for the last 18 years. He had promised me the ticket in the name of deity Yediyur Siddalingesha. But denied me ticket in the last minute,” he said.

He said on Monday afternoon, Mr. Yeddyurappa had asked him to get ready to file his nomination papers. “My name was on the list till 12 noon on Monday. After getting it confirmed, I moved to Hassan to prepare the documents. But my name was missing from the list announced at 3 p.m.,” he said.

Mr. Kattaya said he would hold a meeting with his supporters to decide on the future course of action.