Arguments between workers of rival political parties were reported — one from Gangawati and the other from Ballari Rural segment — on May 10.
In Gangavati, supporters of the BJP and Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) got into an argument. In Ballari, BJP workers got into an argument with their counterparts in the Congress.
Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) was founded by former BJP Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy.
In Gangavati, a heated exchange of words between BJP and KRPP activists began when BJP Youth Morcha district president Shivakumar Arikeri objected to a KRPP booth agent wearing a badge with the photo of party candidate Gali Janardhan Reddy, in booth numbers 159 and 160, in the APMC. Congress activists also joined BJP workers in opposing the photo on the badge of the KRPP agent.
Gali Janardhan Reddy went to the spot. He asked the police to write down the names of the people who triggered the argument and take action against them. BJP activists termed Mr. Reddy’s remarks as threatening.
Police intervened before the verbal exchange turned into a physical clash. They dispersed all the political workers. Additional police personnel were deployed in the area.
In Ballari Rural segment, the exact reason that triggered the clash between BJP and Congress workers at Sanjivarayana Kote village is not known.
Congress candidate B. Nagendra, who rushed to the spot, alleged that his party worker Umesh Gowda was assaulted by BJP workers. He demanded that the administration take stringent action against the culprit. Transport Minister B. Sriramulu is the BJP candidate in the segment.
In other places, incidents of canvassing near polling booths
Tension prevailed at Kooteri village in Kolar district for some time when villagers protested against alleged high-handedness of police for causing injury while detaining a person.
The villagers surrounded the police team and their vehicle. Additional police personnel were rushed to the spot to restore order in the area.
The incident occurred when a woman PSI found a few people sitting near the poll booth and campaigning. When she told them to move away, the men got into a heated argument with the police. Police detained one person, Krishnappa, who sustained minor Injuries when he was forced into the vehicle .
Enraged by this, his associates surrounded the vehicle and the police personnel.
A similar incident was reported at Vemagal. A local BJP leader clashed with workers of a rival political party after he was found canvassing near the polling booth.
Both the incidents were termed by senior police officials as trivial, and said that the situation is under control.
