Clashes in MCC: Cong members 'deal' with women colleagues

MYSORE: The Mysore City Corporation council on Thursday witnessed unruly scenes when Congress members clashed and nearly manhandled their own women corporators.
Cracks in the Congress camp came to the fore when the women corporators announced their support to a rebel candidate in the election to MUDA membership, which is considered to be a prestigious post for the corporators.
In the melee, a woman corporator collapsed in the council hall. She was rushed to a nearby private hospital for treatment. She is said to be out of danger. The discord in the Congress comes within three days after Mysore got its first woman mayor.
Trouble erupted when an associate Congress member, R. Nagaraju, filed his nomination papers at the special council meeting against official candidate R. Siddappa for the MUDA membership.
Mayor Modamani was conducting the election and gave time for withdrawal of nomination papers. But the women corporators — Yashodamma and Pushpavalli — announced that they would support the rebel candidate and all hell broke loose. The other Congress corporators were on their toes.
Intervening, former mayor T.B. Chikkanna urged the members not to rebel and vote according to party lines. “Do not forget that you were elected on a Congress ticket,� he reminded the corporators and warned severe action against the rebels.
However, the two women members refused to pay heed. At this juncture, Chikkanna along with former deputy mayor Siddaraju and former mayor B.K. Prakash rushed towards the women members and were stopped by the rebel member Nagaraju and JD(S) members, resulting in a verbal duel.
Things got further complicated with the appearance of MUDA chairman, Sandesh Nagaraj, a non-member, on the scene. Nagaraj was heard using foul language against the two women corporators and another Congress member — M.C. Chikkanna on their side. At one point of time, Nagaraj even tried to assault M.C. Chikkanna, accusing him of creating divisions in the party.
In the midst of all this, Pushpavalli started gasping for breath and collapsed on the ground. Unable to control the situation, mayor Modamani adjourned the meeting and walked out. Some alert members in the hall shifted Pushpavalli to a private hospital for treatment.
But the situation remained unchanged after the meeting was reconvened, prompting opposition parties — JD(S) and the BJP — to accuse Congress of “harassing� its women corporators.