Discontent in Congress spills over to streets

Supporters of several Congress MLAs who were denied a berth in the H D Kumaraswamy Cabinet staged protests around the Raj Bhavan and other places in Bengaluru and also in various parts of the state.

Supporters of senior leader and Gadag MLA H K Patil staged a protest near Chalukya Circle, demanding a ministerial berth for him. Supporters, carrying Patil’s portrait, sat on the road and blocked traffic. They shouted slogans against AICC president Rahul Gandhi and General Secretary incharge of Karnataka K C Venugopal. They also set tyres on fire.

Later, the police convinced them to clear the area stressing that protests can’t be held without the permission. Traffic was disrupted for some time. The police then called a couple of buses to detain the protesters.

Supporters of Babaleshwar MLA M B Patil gathered near his house in Sadashivanagar and staged a protest. They demanded a ministerial post contending that he was a prominent leader from north Karnataka. When Byatarayanapura MLA Krishna Byre Gowda visited Patil’s house, his supporters shouted slogans against Congress leaders.Patil’s supporters also staged protests at several places in Vijayapura district. Followers of Kundgol MLA C S Shivalli staged a protest in front of the Vidhana Soudha. They were detained when they tried to enter the Vidhana Soudha.

In Mysuru, Narasimharaja MLA Tanveer Sait’s three supporters attempted suicide by dousing themselves with kerosene, during a protest. Sait’s supporters, who gathered on the Mysuru-Bengalaru highway, staged a protest by blocking the road and torching tyres.

Supporters of Jewargi MLA Dr Ajay Singh staged protests in Kalaburagi city, Jewargi town, Sonna Cross and Yadrami and raised slogans against Venugopal. Following the protest, vehicular movement was affected on Bidar-Srirangapatna highway.

Supporters of Challakere MLA Raghu Murthy and Bhadravathi MLA B K Sangameshwar also staged protests in Chitradurga and Bhadravathi, seeking that their leaders be made ministers.