Karnataka polls: Kolar ticket denial to Siddaramaiah; party workers go berserk

Former Speaker and Siddaramaiah loyalist K R Ramesh Kumar is miffed with the Congress high command over turning down the opposition leader's request to contest from the second seat Kolar.

Disappointed over the party's decision, Ramesh Kumar had threatened to stay away from Rahul Gandhi's rally scheduled for Sunday in Kolar and not to file his nomination from the Srinivaspur Assembly segment, sources said.

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AICC general secretary and party in-charge in Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala rushed to Srinivaspur MLA's Addagal residence to pacify the sulking leader.

Surjewala told reporters that Ramesh Kumar was not upset with the party's decision on Kolar candidature and that all's well within the party.

Party lawmakers from Kolar district - Ramesh Kumar, K Y Nanjegowda and S N Narayanaswamy were batting for Siddaramaiah to contest from Kolar as second seat.

The party has fielded Kothur Manjunath from Kolar. The decision, however, didn't go down well with a section of Congress workers and Siddaramaiah supporters.

Block president injured

Meanwhile, Congress workers, Muslim leaders and Siddaramaiah supporters went berserk vandalising furniture at the Congress Bhavan in Kolar after their leader's name didn't feature in the 3rd Congress list for Kolar segment.

MLCs M L Anilkumar, Nasir Ahmed and DCC president Urubagilu Srinivas had a tough time in pacifying the agitating workers.

The agitators hurled chairs at the party leaders during which Rural block president Udayshankar sustained injury in the head.

Even KPCC president D K Shivakumar faced the wrath of protesters. They told Shivakumar that they would field a rebel candidate, if the party does not consider their demand of fielding Siddaramaiah or a Muslim candidate from Kolar.