Bangalore: It is not everyday that one gets to see candidates from rival parties sharing the stage, agreeing to engage in a healthy discussion on the issues in their constituency. What was meant to be a civilised debate between the four key candidates of Bangalore South constituency turned ugly in no time and the debate had to be stopped halfway as supporters of BJP and Congress indulged in verbal abuse and interrupted the candidates.
Four candidates from Bangalore South - HN Ananth Kumar(BJP), Nandan Nilekani(Congress), Ruth Manorama(JD(S)) and Nina Nayak(AAP) - gathered at NMRKV College auditorium in Bangalore as part of an initiative by the Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC).
The first topic was on urban development where each of the candidates were required to put forth their agenda in a given time. It was Ananth Kumar's turn first.
The disruptions began when Nandan Nilekani started his talk. Several members of the audience shouted and demanded that Nilekani speak in Kannada. Soon after, high drama followed as supporters of Ananth Kumar and Nandan Nilekani started indulging in verbal abuse. Despite repeated interventions by the organisers, the verbal slugfest continued. Amid the hullaballoo, the other two candidates, Nina Nayak and Ruth Manorama quietly made their points.
In a rare moment, Ananth Kumar and Nilekani even held hands together and appealed to their supporters to maintain peace. When the chaos could not be brought under control, the debate was called off, and the candidates left the venue. Meanwhile, AAP supporters held a silent dharna outside the hall.
Both Nilekani and Kumar blamed each other's party workers for the ruckus. "I was not alleging anything but I was only reading out facts and figures. Congress supporters had no patience to hear," Ananth Kumar said. "The format required everyone to speak on certain issues. When people start digressing from that it is no longer the issues," Nilekani said.
The debate was meant to an apolitical forum where the candidates were required to talk about issues, their ideas and their approach to solving them. "We didn't anticipate this because we thought people would stick to their word and not indulge in sloganeering. We thought they will control their own party workers," BPAC president Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw told CNN-IBN. "One person or one party cannot be blamed. Everybody has to show restrain and act responsibility," she added.
But this was not what voters of Bangalore South had expected when they came to listen to each of the candidates speak, hoping the debate will help them make an informed choice. Many of them walked out when the ruckus could not be controlled. "I am disappointed. This is the reflection of what's happening in Parliament and their behaviour got translated here," said Rajesh, a resident of the locality.
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