Madhugiri : The supporters of legislator K N Rajanna staged a peaceful protest in response to the bandh call given by the Block Congress Committee urging that Rajanna be given a Cabinet berth.

Thousands of protesters gathered at the Tumakuru Gate and took out a protest rally in the major roads of the town. When Congress worker D C Nagesh and Badavanahalli DCC Bank employees Shivappa and Krishnamurthy tried to immolate themselves with petrol, they were stopped by the police and Rajanna’s supporters.

On Monday morning, Youth Congress leaders had taken out a bike rally in the town and expressed their ire against by setting tyres on fire.

The protest was supported by associations of grain merchants, private bus owners, autorickshaw drivers, advocates and APMC traders, along with Hoysala Taxi Owners’ and Drivers’ Association, Mahila Samaja, Vasavi Mahila Samaja, Streeshakti Sangha.

Zilla panchayat (ZP) members, taluk municipal council president, vice-president and members, elected representatives, APMC presidents, directors, Contractors’ Association members and Congress workers took part in the rally.

ZP member H Kenchamaraiah said K N Rajanna should be given a Cabinet berth to enable him to plan new government schemes. Rajanna has undertaken many developmental programmes after he was elected as MLA. He has a lot of concern for farmers, workers and the poor. The Congress can gain an upper hand in the district if he is made a minister as the Congress party has its presence in Madhugiri in the form of five ZP, 17 TP, 15 TMC, 28 GP members.

ZP members Shantala Rajanna, G J Rajanna, Manjula, Chowdappa, district Youth Congress president R Rajendra, Tumul president Kondawadi Chandrashekhar, TMC president Radha Narayan, vie president M P Ganesh, former presidents K Prakash, M V Govindaraju, Mohammed Ayub, Block Congress presidents S R Rajagopal, M S Mallikarjunaiah, TP president Indira Dena Nayka, vice president Lakshmi Narasappa, TMC members M S Chandrashekar, Srinivas, B N Parashuram, Aleem, Sridevi, Sadiq, Puttamma, Bhagyamma, Zubeida Banu and others took part in the protest rally.

In Midigeshi village of the taluk, Rajanna’s supporters blocked the roads which brought the movement of traffic between Madhugiri and Pavagad to a complete halt.

As many as 100 police personnel, along with one DySP, five circle inspectors, six sub-inspectors, two KSRP personnel and others, had been deputed for maintaining the law and order. The SSLC supplementary exmas went on without any hitch. Nationalised banks and ATMs functioned as usual, while a holiday had been declared for schools and colleges.