ZP president's election reveals split in Udupi BJP, rebels stage dharna

Udupi, February 9: Activists in Udupi BJP belonging to Rajapur Saraswath Brahmin (RSB) community on Wednesday protested infront of the district BJP office for denying the ZP President's seat to senior BJP member Upendra Nayak.

Interestingly Upendra Nayak too participated in the protest where the demonstrators locked the doors of the BJP office and gheraod the BJP President and others officers.

Speaking on the occasion Sadananda Prabhu, a close associate of Upendra Nayak said that their community had been a staunch supporter of BJP for many years. Inspite of the repeated assurances till Tuesday evening, BJP leaders ditched the community by announcing the name of Shankar Poojary to the post.

They also threatened that several gram panchayath members and a few taluk panchayath members would resign protesting against the discrimination against their community.

The issue was temporarily resolved after several rounds of deliberations with MLAs Raghupathi Bhat, Lalaji R Mendon and District BJP President Udaya Kumar Shetty and Somashekhara Bhat.

At the meeting held inside the party office too agitators reported to have threw chairs and demanded justice to their community.

ZP President Katapady Shankar Poojary, immediately after his election announced the name of Upendra Nayak for the post of leader of the BJP members group in the Zilla Panchayath.

Udaya Kumar Shetty said that Shankar Poojary rightly deserved the post as he had been active in the party since over 30 years. “In politics, it is not wrong to expect a position. But here Shankar Poojary's seniority was rightly honoured. It is a decision of the BJP core committee in the district.” Shetty said.