Congress workers ransack party office

Congress workers today ransacked the party district unit office here protesting against choosing a "non-local" candidate for the August 21 assembly by-poll from Bellary Rural constituency.
The agitated workers, numbering around 300, stormed the office, broke the furniture and damaged the TV, besides pulling down banners ignoring attempts to pacify them, police said.
The workers were upset that party ticket had been given to N Y Gopalakrishna, a former MLA from Chitradurga district, ignoring the claims of several local aspirants.
They demanded that Asundi Honurappa, who had lost the May 2013 Assembly polls, or some other local leader should be given the ticket.

The seat fell vacant following the election of BJP's Sriramulu to Lok Sabha. By-elections are being held to two other constituencies also --Chikkodi-Sadalga and Shikaripura.