Belagavi, 27 July

A Congress meeting convened to gather opinions on the appointment of the Belagavi City Congress president descended into chaos on Monday, with party workers clashing in the presence of an AICC observer.

The meeting, held at the Congress office near Sangolli Rayanna Circle and chaired by AICC observer Manoj Chavan, was organised to seek feedback on the selection of the city unit president.

Differences over the choice of candidate soon escalated into heated arguments, with workers pushing one another and allegedly coming to blows, disrupting the proceedings. Hemanth Lingade, an associate of former MLA Ramesh Kudachi, alleged that he was assaulted during the altercation.

The clash created a tense atmosphere at the party office before personnel from the Market Police Station arrived and brought the situation under control.

The incident has once again exposed factionalism within the Congress in Belagavi, with internal differences spilling into the open during a key organisational exercise. The process of appointing the city Congress president has now become a subject of political discussion, with attention turning to whether the party leadership will take disciplinary action against those involved in the violence.