Police take down derogatory banners against BJP leaders in Puttur

Puttur: A banner with the portraits of former State President of BJP, Nalin Kumar Kateel and former Chief Minister of Karnataka, D V Sadananda Gowda was found erected in Puttur town of Dakshina Kannada district. It was a derogatory banner as there was a garland of slippers around it.

The banner had the courtesy of claiming to Hindu political workers. As per the authorities, the banner was seen in the vicinity of a bus stand in Puttur, on Monday morning. Its message conveyed, “In recognition of your pivotal role in the BJP’s regrettable defeat, we acknowledge your sincere demise.”

Following the incident, Dakshina Kannada’s Superintendent of Police (SP), Dr. Vikram Amathe, confirmed that the banner was subsequently taken down by the Puttur City Municipal Council. The banner made its appearance a mere two days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) suffered a defeat in the Karnataka Assembly elections. The BJP’s performance in coastal Karnataka however, including Dakshina Kannada, remained relatively unscathed as the BJP triumphed in six out of the eight Assembly constituencies in the district.

Nevertheless, the BJP encountered a sticky situation in Puttur. Hindu activist and party member, Arun Puthila, quit BJP and decided to run as an Independent candidate after being denied a ticket. This development split BJP votes in Puttur assembly constituency as the Congress candidate and Arun Puthila were both a part of BJP earlier.

The internal strife within the BJP ultimately worked in favour of the Congress candidate, Ashok Kumar Rai, who managed to secure victory over Arun Puthila with a narrow margin of 4,149 votes. Puthila, despite being a formidable opponent, fiercely contested against Rai until the very end. On the other hand, the BJP’s candidate, Asha Thimmappa Gowda, trailed behind in third place, garnering a total of 37,558 votes.