After loss in Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, Congress workers target Sorake, Ramanath Rai

District in-charge ministers Vinay Kumar Sorake and Ramanath Rai are having to bear the brunt of the local leaders’ anger at the Congress party’s failure to capture the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayats.

While the Congress managed to win four seats more than in the last election in Dakshina Kannada, it lost three more seats in Udupi. In both districts the party continues to be in the opposition in the Zilla Panchayats.

"In Udupi, the election was led by Sorake. He did not field a Muslim, but chose a candidate from a fishermen’s community for a Muslim dominated area. The unhappiness among Muslims was clearly visible when the BJP won the Shiroor ZP seat, where they are in large number," said a senior Congress leader.

"In Brahmavar and Kota the party lost two ZP seats because of the Jayaprakash Hegde factor. The party did not field Shankar Kunder, a strong Congress leader in Kota, as he was Hegde's supporter. This adversely affected it not only in Kota but also Brahmavar," he added.

While acknowledging that four of the six ZP seats the Congress won in Udupi, were from Mr Sorake’s constituency, a party leader said, "It is true that Rai and Sorake have succeeded in getting seats for the Congress in their home constituencies, but they are in-charge of the districts as a whole and have not delivered in this role . They failed to listen to party workers and strengthen the party. When things are not well organised how can a party win an election?"