Karwar: The taluka panchayat standing committee former President and fishermen leader Umakanth U Harikantra has demanded that the Union Minister Anant Kumar Hegde should inform the people about the price at which party ticket for Karwar-Ankola constituency was sold.

Speaking to presspersons here on Friday, he charged that there was a lot of irregularities that have taken place in giving the ticket to BJP candidate from the constituency.

He also said that Anant Kumar and his supporters are doing business out of politics. “I quit the party owing to this,” he said.

He charged that Anant Kumar did not walk the talk. The party leaders and the minister had assured a ticket for fishermen community leaders in the run-up to the election. However, he did keep his words on this. This is a betrayal of the community leaders.

He said the party has fielded Roopali Naik, a candidate who is not aware of the party stand and policies. She had contested against party’s official candidate for the Zilla Panchayat election and resulted in the party’s defeat. Instead of throwing her out of the party for the defeat, she has been made official candidate of the party just because she has money, he said and added that people will teach Ananthkumar and BJP a lesson in the assembly and Lok Sabha elections.

He also reminded the minister that when first contested for the Lok Sabha elections, Anant Kumar’s pockets were empty.

Vidyadhar Durgekar, Jagadish Goakar, Ganapathi Tandel, Vikram Harikantra and others were present.