Karnataka BJP worker allegedly beaten up by Siddaramaiah's nephews; NCR filed

In the poll-bound Karnataka, a political campaign turned violent and left a BJP cadre injured. While Nagesh was canvassing for his party's candidate V Somanna in the Varuna assembly constituency for the May 10 polls, Siddaramaiah's nephews allegedly beat him up. He has been admitted to a nearby hospital and is undergoing treatment. 

When Siddaramaiah was asked to comment on the incident, he claimed that he was unaware of the matter. "I'm not aware of this incident. I'll ask what happened and speak," the former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. He is contesting from the Varuna segment on Congress' ticket against BJP's V Somanna in the upcoming Karnataka assembly polls. 

Meanwhile, the saffron party members have filed a Not Criminally Responsible (NCR) complaint against Siddaramaiah. An NCR complaint is registered by the cops as a non-cognizable case against a person. In the provision of an NCR complaint, the cops can neither arrest the accused nor investigate the case without the order of a judicial magistrate.

BJP accuses Congress of pelting stones

According to reports, BJP cadre Nagesh was beaten up amid alleged stone pelting on the saffron party's campaign near the Siddaramanahundi area in the Varuna Assembly constituency on Thursday. The tension during BJP's campaign prevailed when the party’s candidate V Somanna and Mysuru Lok Sabha MP Pratap Simha arrived in the area for participating in the campaign. Police personnel intervened in the clashes and dispersed the people to restore law and order. 

Varuna segment in Karnataka has been the most-talked-about constituency after the saffron party fielded Housing Minister V Somanna to take over Congress' Siddaramaiah. Notably, Somanna has also been fielded from the Chamarajanagara segment. However, he has been seen campaigning extensively in Varuna to defeat Siddaramaiah in his birth place.