HAVERI: With less than two days left for polling, K R Nagar taluk in the district witnessed elections-related violence in which an independent candidate suffered injuries along with several others on Wednesday night. In the first case, Hosahalli Venkatesh, who is contesting as an independent from K R Nagar constituency, sustained severe injuries while in another case, Congress and Janata Dal ( Secular) workers clashed with each other, resulting in the injuries of two regional party workers.
In his complaint, Venkatesh has alleged that he was returning home in his car along with his supporter Tilak Prasad, who was driving. Some miscreants waylaid the car near Lalanahalli village in the same taluk. They hurled chilli powder on both before pulling them out and assaulting them. They fled from the spot after noticing a vehicle coming in the same direction.
While Venkatesh, who received injuries on his head, fell unconscious, Prasad pulled himself up and called some of his friends over the phone to the spot. They later rushed Venkatesh to a hospital in the town to administer first aid from where he was later shifted to a private hospital in Mysuru. Venkatesh, who was earlier with BJP, had emerged as one of the strong contenders for ticket but later quit the party after Shwetha Gopal was given the ticket.
Miffed Venkatesh jumped into the fray as a BJP rebel and is contesting as an independent. He had been actively campaigning in the constituency till he was assaulted. Venkatesh has no knowledge of the strangers who attacked him as it was dark at the time.