Ruksar Banu, wife of the slain corporator Dewan Ali, on Tuesday staged a protest in front of the JD(S) supremo H D Deve Gowda’s house in Padmanabhanagar.

The party, which had given Banu a ticketfrom Banashankari Temple ward on Monday, sprang a surprise on Tuesday by fielding Talkad Seena alias Srinivas.

An upset Banu blamed Chamarajpet MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan for the party rejecting her candidature. She said Khan, who had helped her get the JD(S) ticket, changed his mind following “pressure” from the Congress candidate from the ward, Ansar Pasha. “Pasha, who feels threatened by my candidature, has had an understanding with Khan. The entire ward supported me, threatening Pasha’s electoral prospects. I sat in protest in front of Gowda’s house all day, but to no avail,” she said.