Tension as JD(S) and Congress are locked in no-holds-barred fight

Parts of south Karnataka, where the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) are locked in a no-holds-barred election battle, are seeing tension and violence escalating.

Tension prevailed at A. Kalenahalli in Channarayapatna taluk on Sunday night when workers of the Congress and the JD(S) engaged in a clash during campaigning.

Workers of both the parties are blaming each other for the clash, in which two vehicles were damaged and a house was pelted with stones.

A. Kalenahalli is part of Holenarsipur Assembly constituency where JD(S) leader and former minister H.D. Revanna and the former president of the Karnataka Government Employees Association B.P. Manje Gowda (Congress) are the major candidates.

The incident happened when Mr. Revanna’s son Suraj Revanna and Congress leader and ZP member Shreyas Patel, grandson of the former Minister late G. Puttaswamy Gowda, were campaigning for the respective candidates in the village. Supporters of both the parties entered into a heated argument and this was followed by stone throwing.

Following the incident, both the groups filed police complaints against each other. Congress workers mentioned Dr. Suraj Revanna as one of the accused in their complaint and JD(S) leaders took the name of Mr. Patel. The Channarayapatna Rural Police have registered the FIRs.

Mr. Manje Gowda, at a press conference, said the Election Commission should consider all the 317 polling stations in Holenarsipur constituency as sensitive and deploy paramilitary forces to ensure free and fair polling.

A JD(S) worker was murdered allegedly over political rivalry in Chickballapur district on Thursday night. A JD(S) worker was allegedly assaulted by a BJP worker at Thamlapura in Hassan taluk on Sunday, following a heated argument.

A week ago, Mr. Manje Gowda had alleged that Prajwal Revanna, another son of Mr. Revanna, had threatened Congress workers in Holenarsipur.