Ballari: The 'Ballari district bandh', opposing the state government’s proposal to bifurcate Ballari district to carve out a new Hosapete-centric Vijayanagar district, on Tuesday received a lukewarm response, except in Ballari city where it was total. As a counter to this bandh, members of several organisations took to the streets in Hosapete demanding a separate Vijayanagar district.
Hundreds of activists thronged Gadagi Chennappa Circle at the heart of Ballari city at 7 am and set ablaze tyres and photographs of leaders who support the bifurcation decision. They shouted slogans against Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa for favouring a separate Vijayanagar district.
Business establishments and schools voluntarily downed shutters, while agitating activists forced banks and government administrative offices to shut. Later, the activists tried to gherao the residences of Congress MLCs K.C. Kondaiah and Allum Veerabhadrappa. The police however took them into custody.
Except former minister M. Diwakar Babu, none of the senior political leaders who are batting for a united Ballari district joined the protesters. Ballari city MLA Gali Somashekhar Reddy and his elder brother Gali Karunakar Reddy were prominent among them.
Meanwhile, two BJP MLAs M.S. Somalingappa from Siruguppa and N.Y. Gopalakrishna from Kudligi supported the bifurcation which is seen as a blow to Reddy brothers and health minister B. Sriramulu, who had earlier threatened Mr Yediyurappa of 'serious law and order consequences'.
Mr Yediyurappa has called for a meeting of people's representatives from Ballari district in Bengaluru to take a final decision on bifurcation. Highly placed sources said that Mr Yediyurappa is firm on his decision to carve out a separate Vijayanagar district and his cabinet would approve the bifurcation proposal. Sources said that disqualified Congress MLA from Vijayanagar constituency (Hosapete) is said to have convinced BJP top brass to carve Vijayanagar district and is expected fight the December 5 by-poll on BJP ticket.
