Daijiworld Media Network - Channapatna (SP)

Channapatna, Aug 17: This tiny town, a taluk headquarter located within Ramanagaram district near Bangalore, better known as the 'town of wooden dolls' because of the mushrooming of small scale industries that are involved with doll-making, is in the news now for the tussle between the JDS and the BJP for wresting the assembly seat.

The seat fell vacant after C P Yogeshwar, who represented the constituency, left his parent party Congress and joined the BJP, just before the recent Lok Sabha election, to become a member of parliament. He fought from Bangalore Rural constituency on a BJP ticket, but failed to win the seat. He now is fighting the assembly election, on a BJP ticket.

In an emergency press meet convened on Sunday, JDS candidate from the constituency, M C Ashwath alleged, that Katta Subrahmanya Naidu, in-charge minister of the district, tugged at the collar of the JDS workers, who questioned his overstay in the constituency, besides asking his gunmen to point their revolvers at them on Sunday evening. The prominent leaders were to leave the constituency by 5 pm on Sunday, but the JDS-men alleged that Katta was seen distributing money at Manjunatha Extension in the town at about 5.45 pm. Deputy Chairman of the upper house, Puttanna, also supported the above charge.

However, BJP candidate C P Yogeshwar said that the JDS activists had assaulted district in-charge inister Katta Subrahmanya Naidu and MLA D Muniraju, who were returning to Bangalore after taking part in electioneering, at about 5.05 pm. "As the car carrying Katta, sericulture minister Venkataramanappa and MLA Muniraju reached Bangalore-Mysore highway through the Church Road, the JDS activists blocked them, assaulted and tried to kill them," he alleged. He said, he would file a report against several activists of the JDS relating to this incident.

He said that the main reason for the assault was the frustration permeating through the  JDS activists about having to face the defeat that is staring at them. "The assault is condemnable and is against democratic norms," he said.