Karkala: Uday Kumar Shetty Muniyal loyalists resorted to pressure tactics to get the party to give him the ticket. Over 300 of loyal supporters walked into the District Congress Office at Udupi and persuaded the district president to issue the ticket to Muniyal instead of Gopal Bhandary.

His supporters claimed that Gopal Bhandary hasn’t worked or associated himself with the party enough to be awarded with a ticket. They stated that it was Mr. Muniyal who reinstated the glory of Congress when it had lost it all in the Karkala constituency. Their talks lasted over an hour.

The supporters demanded that Mr. Bhandary must step down from the race and the ticket be issued to Muniyal instead. They cautioned Congress that in case their demands were not fulfilled, Muniyal would contest the upcoming assembly poll as an independent candidate.

District president Janardana Tonse and other party leaders assured the supporters that they would bring their plight to the notice of senior party members. The crowd also accused MP Veerappa Moily of nepotism for favoring his son Harsha, for party ticket. They also alleged that Moily is working to bring Congress to ruins in Karkala constituency.