Mysuru: Forty-one days to go for the May 12 Assembly election and the election fever seems to have caught up with leaders hitting full-blown campaign trails and the voters too responding positively to political heavyweights.
While political leaders are trying their best to woo the electorate, people, on their part, have adopted novel means to welcome their leaders.
One such unique welcome was given to Chief Minister Siddharamaiah who visited Hootagalli and surrounding areas, a part of Chamundeshwari Constituency, this morning where he was welcomed with a huge garland made of blood-red apples at the signal light junction on the ever-busy Mysuru-Madikeri Road.
It may be recalled that Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar was welcomed with a garland of apples when he visited Mandya recently. Also former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda was welcomed with a huge garland of apples when he visited Nagamangala last week.
The garland was made out of 750 kilograms of apple and was 25 feet in length. So heavy was the garland that it had to be lifted with the help of a crane and the crane brought the garland ahead and touched the open jeep where Siddharamaiah had stood along with other leaders. It was a pleasant surprise for Siddharamaiah who smiled at his supporters and waved at them.
Soon, the leaders atop the open jeep signalled the crane driver to slowly bring down the garland as they feared that it would break. Soon after the garland was brought down and the CM’s open jeep left the venue, there was a mad scramble for apples.
Villagers pulled the apples from the garland and were competing with each other to grab as many fruits as they can.
Chaotic scenes were witnessed as hundreds of villagers crowded to break the apples from the garland. Hundreds of apples were crushed on the road and slippers were strewn all over. Fortunately, there was no stampede. Sources said that the garland was funded by the villagers and they had spent more than Rs. 1.50 lakh to make it.
Earlier, the CM was welcomed by bursting crackers and women performed arati. Siddharamaiah, after holding road show and performing puja at Maramma Temple in Hootagalli, travelled to KHB Colony in the locality where he offered prayers at Ganapathi temple.
MUDA Chairman D. Dhruvakumar, former ZP Presidents K. Marigowda and Koorgalli Mahadev, former MLA M. Sathyanarayana, leaders Desigowda, Hootagalli Krishna, Patel Javaraiah, Shivanna and others were present.
The Organisers who made this 750 kg Apples for the politicians ,which is a waste and appeasement.
They should have given this Apples to the Patients in various hospitals, old age homes, orphanages, schools.
Will Common sense prevail .
Bunch of foolish congi thugs with no brain.
Please we cannot comment ,this is a’ secular’ , democratic nation, not a benovalent one.
If instead of garlanding the CM, if the apples had made their way to needy poor children it would have been more meaningful in the real sense…alas such thoughts are only dreams of the needy !!
Exactly correct sir. Such though will not come to our politicians so it will not reach out needy people. They feel proud in spoiling 750 kg apple rather than giving it to poor people.
Dear Star of Mysore…. its not villagers who made the menace with the apple. its done by the passers & other people. Do not hurt our villages sentiment. There no such huge support to siddu in our village. Since it was sunday we have village market (santhe), the customers & sellers gathered with curiosity & made the menace .