The changing political scenario and a possibility of early Lok Sabha elections have kick-started the process of zeroing in on the candidates in the Congress party to contest for the polls in Mangalore constituency.
Congress has been facing defeat in Mangalore Lok Sabha constituency ever since 1983. While repeated failure of veteran B Janardhana Poojary is one aspect, the emergence of Social Democratic Party of India and Welfare Party of India as parties likely to woo Muslim votes is also a factor the Congress needs to deal with and hence fielding of a Muslim candidate is being given thought.
A delegation of AICC is gathering opinion on the selection of MP candidate for Mangalore from Congress leaders and activists in all blocks.
A section of Congress leaders has submitted an appeal to the team demanding that a Muslim candidate be fielded in the polls. Muslim voters in Mangalore constituency number 3.6 lakh while there are 1.4 lakh Christian voters. Muslim voters constitute more than 27% of the total votes in the constituency and when combined with Christian voters, the percentage swells up to almost 50. DK constituency has the maximum number of Muslim voters in the entire state after Bidar. Though Gulbarga also has a sizeable Muslim voter population, it has been made an SC/ST reserved constituency, it was mentioned in the appeal.
A senior Bunt leader in the Congress party said on condition of anonymity that Muslims deserve to have a candidate contesting Lok Sabha polls in Mangalore but since the party is fond of giving opportunities to the same people again and again, it will take some doing for the change to be brought about. “I won’t be surprised if they give election ticket to the likes of Janardhan Poojary again. But there is no better place in the state to field Muslims than in Mangalore”, he opines.
Fielding a new candidate can bring results in favour of the Congress, believe a few activists, citing the instance of rookie Nalin Kumar Kateel’s thumping victory over Mr. Poojary in the last election.
But a good number of Congress workers have backed Mr. Poojary and suggested his name. Another section demanding change has suggested the name of AICC secretary and former MP Vinay Kumar Sorake.
Muralidhar, senior politician from Kerala, was the AICC representative who heard the Congress workers’ opinions at the Congress office in Mangalore on Thursday, November 29. Mr Sorake, MLAs Ramanath Rai, UT Khader, Vasath Bangera, former MLAs, KPCC members, members of taluk and zilla panchayats, block presidents, and other Congress leaders were present. Mr. Poojary and MLA Abhayachandra Jain were absent.
Mr. Muralidhar, who has heard the opinions of the members present, has been asked to submit a report to Madhusoodan Mistri, Karnataka in-charge.
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