Congress may not win MCC polls, says Poojary

Former Union minister B Janardhana Poojary’s prediction that the Congress will lose the Mangaluru City Corporation elections has put everyone in surprise.

Poojary was addressing a press conference at the Patrika Bhavan in the city on Tuesday and said that the BJP will win the elections.

“The process of ticket distribution has not been fair in the Congress,” he added.

He, meanwhile, denied being consulted by District Congress Committee President and MLC Harish Kumar before the selection of the candidates. “Nobody sought my suggestion. The president’s statement at a press conference on seeking my suggestion is far from true,” he insisted and stated that he extended his wishes to the candidates who had sought his blessings.

“The president should withdraw his statement. If not, I will have to take the next step,” he warned.

“It hurts me if I am not consulted while taking a key decision like selection of candidates. The District Congress thought me dead. I know who is behind this. The president has been dancing to the tunes of a stout man, on whose directions the candidates are finalised. Harish Kumar is a leader who thrived under my guidance, but hunger for power changes everything,” he stated.

Leaders Vijay Kumar Shetty and Kallige Taranath Shetty were present at the press meet.

Internal issue

Earlier, when Harish Kumar was asked about Congress veteran leader B Janardhana Poojary demanding his apology for apparently lying on having consulted Poojary while finalising the names of candidates, Kumar said he would not like to discuss the internal issues of the party.

“I will speak to Poojary personally and apologise only after knowing what mistakes I have committed. I want to know if he has been misinformed. The tickets were issued in consensus with the party leaders,” said Harish Kumar.

To a query on the Mogaveera community getting no representation, the president said that two tickets have been issued to leaders of the community. “There is no rebel candidate. Active Congress members have not gone against the party,” he pointed out.