Two ticket aspirants for Tumkur (rural) Assembly constituency and their supporters clashed in the local office of Janata Dal (S) here on Saturday. The aspirants, H. Ningappa and Gowrishankar, former legislators, levelled allegations and counter-allegations even as JD(S) district unit president M.R. Hulinaykar made a futile attempt to restore peace and order inside the office.
Sources in the local unit of Dal (S) told Deccan Chronicle that some men who claimed they were supporters of Mr Gowrishankar barged into the office and picked up a quarrel with supporters of Mr Ningappa on grounds that they were not allowed to hold a meeting to unite workers of Tumkur (rural) Assembly constituency. Mr Gowrishankar alleged that supporters of Mr Ningappa scolded him and his supporters, and did not allow them to conduct a meeting to discuss the issue of strengthening the party's base in Tumkur (rural) constituency. He alleged that Tumkur (taluk) unit president Vijaykumar played a major role in preventing them from entering the party office, and sought disciplinary action against him. Mr Ningappa, however, countered saying Mr Gowrishankar walked in and demanded that they call of the meeting. When he declined, it sparked a war of words followed by clashes between supporters of the former legislators.
Sources in the party said differences surfaced between the two aspirants from the day Mr Gowrishankar and his father and former forests minister C Chennigappa returned to Dal (S). They quit the BJP and returned to Janata Dal (S) after they were promised tickets for next year's polls to the Legislative Assembly.