The 38-year-old had been to attend CM’s rally

Pandavapura: A 38-year-old man died of drowning after reportedly slipping into a canal during Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy’s campaign for Mandya Lok Sabha by-poll at Pandavapura yesterday.

Kumar of Jakkanahalli in the taluk is the deceased. Kumar, who attended Chief Minister’s rally at Pandavapura Stadium, went into the nearby Visvesvaraya Canal to drink water, when he accidentally slipped and fell into it.

The people nearby rescued Kumar and he was being taken to a local hospital, when he died midway, it is learnt.

His body was shifted to Pandavapura Hospital mortuary.

Chief Minister Kumaraswamy visited the mortuary and paid his last respects to the deceased.

Even as Kumaraswamy visited the mortuary, his supporters vied with each other to shake hands with him and in the melee, Kumaraswamy is said to have injured a finger of his left hand. Doctors attended to him, it is learnt.