Chikkamagalur: Congress candidate Jaipraksh Hegde and some Udupi Congressmen who visited Shanthaveri village (of Gopal Gowda) in Tarikere taluk in ‘Chikkamagalur’ district, were chased out during a by-poll campaigning, by villagers who raised the question of a tiger conservation project, when people were neglected largely.

The villagers wanted the project to be thrown out, as they would be driven to the streets if a tiger project is taken up there.

The Congress leaders remarks made on the tiger conservation, did not go down well in the minds of local villagers.

First a verbal altercation took place and furious rural folks assaulted the candidate from Brahmavara on coastal areas, J. Hegde and his party activists who came seeking votes.

The Congress leaders baffled by adverse circumstances ran out of the village under “inauspicious” feelings Hegde was accompanied by former MLA, Nagaraja, Tv Shivashankarappa, among others

The Villagers keen on boycotting the Bypoll suspected Congressmen offering cash to lure voters in the area and were enraged on the vote beggars in their midst.