HUBLI: A meeting of Congress workers held here on Monday in view of the coming elections to the Hubli-Dharwad Municipal Corporation turned chaotic following a few criticising the way the party ticket was issued.

The remarks made by many, especially Prabhu Prabhakar, enraged the supporters of former minister Jabbar Khan Honnalli, who is now president of the Hubli-Dharwad Mahanagar Zilla Congress unit. Mr. Prabhu was allegedly manhandled by Mr. Honnalli's followers, and this led to retaliation by party ticket aspirants.

Supporters of local leaders

Mr. Prabhu alleged that only those who supported local leaders were being given party ticket.

Qamarul Islam, former minister and Congress observer for the Corporation election and few other leaders, had to struggle hard to prevent the situation from getting out of control.

A.M. Hindasageri, former minister urged that party ticket should be given to those who had been serving the party for years.

Firdous Konnur, former mayor, and Youth Congress leaders Babajan Mudhol, Anwar Mudhol, Rajashekhar Mensinakai, and Shafi Muddebihal supported Mr. Hinadasageri's view. They demanded that the candidate selection process be made more transparent.

They pointed out the "blunders" committed by the party during the zilla panchayat elections and alleged that money power had influenced the candidate selection procedure.

A few party workers appealed to the observer not to give ticket to those who have already served as council members for three to four terms.

Separate committee

Mr. Islam said this time, the party had changed the guidelines for selection of the candidates and there would be a separate committee to look into the issue.

"A State-level committee led by Shamanur Shiavashankarappa has been formed and candidates will be selected on the basis of the guidelines issued by it. This time, local leaders will not have the power to finalise the list of the candidates," he said.

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