Kushalnagar: Over 5,000 residents, backed by politicians cutting across party lines, took out a rally at Kushalnagar this morning demanding a separate “Cauvery Taluk”, their long-pending demand.

The rally began at Thavarekere and passed through the main thoroughfares of the town. The rally witnessed participation of several cultural troupes. All political parties including Congress, BJP and the JD(S) had extended their support to this apolitical struggle.

The demand for a separate Cauvery Taluk with headquarters at Kushalnagar has been growing over the years since residents find travelling 27km to Somwarpet to get their work done to be a waste of time.

Following the neglect from the State Government, members of various pro-people organisations formed Cauvery Taluk Horata Samithi under the presidentship of former ZP member V.P. Shashidhar. The committee even prepared the map of new Cauvery Taluk comprising 19 Gram Panchayat areas and formed village committees.

Today, members of all the 19 Gram Panchayats, Taluk Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats participated in the rally. Leaders including V.P. Shashidhar, MLCs Sunil Subramani, Veena Achaiah, and ZP member K.P. Chandrakala took part in the rally.