Women waiting on roads with empty water pots prevented from meeting CM.

CM’s son Yathindra’s campaign vehicle seized for not having valid pass.

After a hectic tour of towns in Nanjangud Assembly constituency yesterday, Chief Minister Siddharamaiah began a tour of villages at Gundlupet Assembly constituency this morning. By evening, he is expected to cover over 22 villages that are considered to be a Kuruba stronghold.

Election to the Gundlupet constituency will be held on April 9 along with Nanjangud constituency. The by-election has been necessitated following the death of former minister H.S. Mahadevaprasad who represented Gundlupet from where he was elected five times. While Mahadevaprasad’s wife Geetha Mahadevaprasad is contesting from Congress, C.S. Niranjan Kumar is contesting from BJP.

Siddharamaiah arrived at Gundlupet Congress office at 11.20 am and had a brief meeting with candidate Geetha Mahadevaprasad, Ministers D.K. Shivakumar, M.B. Patil, Satish Jarakiholi, CADA (Cauvery) Chairman H.S. Nanjappa, former Minister C.M Ibrahim and Siddharamaiah’s son Dr. Yathindra Siddharamaiah.

Wearing a red cap, the CM hit the campaign trail at Mallayanapura on an open jeep and appealed to the people to vote for Congress. In a series of public addresses, Siddharamaiah said that former Minister Mahadevaprasad had strived for the welfare of the constituency and it was time to trust his wife Geetha Mahadevaprasad to continue with the good work.

As he entered the villages, the CM was given a rousing welcome with traditional “Vadya” and band sets. After covering Mallayanapura, Siddharamaiah was scheduled to visit Bheemanabeedu, Koothanooru and Channamallipura villages. He will end his Gundlupet village campaign at Hirikati that is located at the border. The CM will campaign in Gundlupet towns from April 3.

WOMEN WAIT WITH  EMPTY POTS

Before the CM’s campaign vehicle entered Mallayanapura, a group of over 20 women stood by the roadside with empty water pots, waiting for the Chief Minister. They wanted to highlight the severe shortage of drinking water and according to them this was the best time to demand water as the CM was in their village.

However, a few Congress workers objected to this and forced the women to go back to their houses. This led to arguments and fisticuffs between the women, their family members and the Congress party workers. Later, after much convincing, the women left the place disappointed.

CM’S SON’S VEHICLE SEIZED

Election officers seized the campaign vehicle used by Chief Minister Siddharamaiah’s son Dr. Yathindra Siddharamaiah along with another vehicle in Gundlupet this morning. The vehicles were seized for not having valid passes.

Vehicles campaigning in Nanjangud constituency were given yellow passes while the vehicles campaigning in Gundlupet were given white passes. Dr. Yathindra’s vehicle and another vehicle sported yellow passes instead of white ones. Observing this, election officers asked other poll staff to seize the two vehicles. However, Yathindra Siddharamaiah was not present in the vehicle when it was seized.