Pics: Umesh Marpalli
Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi
Udupi, Mar 14: Close on the heels of AICC member Amrith Shenoy threatening to quit the Congress over offering the Udupi-Chikkamagaluru seat to coalition partner JD(S), the Udupi district Congress committee on Thursday March 14 urged the party high command to reconsider the decision.
Some of the local Congress members expressed anger over the party's decision by burning tyres in front of the party office here on Thursday night. Udupi district Youth Congress presdent Vishwas Amin, district Congress vice-president Prakhyat Shetty and others were part of the protest.
In a meeting held earlier in the day, the Udupi district Congress unit said that JD(S) has no presence in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency and opined that Congress had a better chance of winning here.
"The JD(S) has no representatives in the panchayat, nor is it active at the block level. The Congress has a strong presence even at the booth level and its leaders are active. Our party has strong candidates who have been supported by the electorate earlier, and they must be taken into consideration and be given ticket in the Lok Sabha polls.
"The strength of the Congress party in Udupi was evident on March 10 during the 'Parivarthana Yatra' that witnessed a large turnout. Besides, BJP candidate Shobha Karandlaje faces opposition even within her own party. Since situation is favourable to us, this time if we field Congress candidate against her, we have a better chance of winning," they said.
In the meeting presided over by district party president Ashok Kumar, the local leaders urged the state party chief and the high command to change the earlier decision to field JD(S) candidate from Udupi-Chikkamagaluru constituency.
The polling for the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections will begin from April 11, and the votes will be counted on May 23. In Karnataka, the polling will be held on April 18 and 23.