BENGALURU: A day after Congress released the list of 218 candidates for the May 12 assembly polls, the party was hit by dissidence in many districts. In some places, the supporters of aspirants, who were denied tickets, resorted to violence, took out protest demonstrations and blocked traffic on busy roads to express their anger at the party leadership. Some aspirants who missed the bus targeted Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Things turned ugly in Mandya, where ticket aspirant Ravi Kumar's supporters ransacked the party office protesting the party's decision to giving ticket to sitting MLA H Ambareesh. While in Nelamangala, MLA Anjana Murthy’s supporters blocked traffic on the busy national highway for over an hour, in Kolar party workers staged a protest demanding to change the candidate Zameer Pasha.
In Siraguppa in Ballari, the supporters of MLA B M Nagaraj took out a protest march and accused senior leaders in the district of conspiring against him while in Tiptur, shops and business establishments were closed after a bandh call given by MLA Shadakshari's supporters.
In Bengaluru, party leader and ticket aspirant from Rajajinagar Manjula Naidu and her supporters staged a protest outside the KPCC office. “I have been working for the party from many years, but there is no value for loyalty,” she said, indicating that she will contest as an independent.
Unfazed by the protests, State Congress president G Parameshwara said they have formed four teams to convince leaders, who are not happy with the party decision.
“Each constituency has many aspirants, while the ticket can be given to one candidate others will be upset, which is natural as they feel they have to again wait for five years. We are confident of convincing them," Parameshwara told reporters.