Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader B. Janardhan Poojary on Wednesday insisted that there was “no infighting” in the party’s district unit despite a couple of ticket aspirants threatening to work against the official candidates of the party.
“I asked Vijay Kumar Shetty and his supporters if they were working for the party or for their individual gains. I told him that by standing as an independent, he will not win, but will succeed in only making Congress lose,” Mr. Poojary told presspersons here.
“He (Vijay Kumar Shetty) is a senior leader who has built the party in the district, and he realised that by contesting election he would help the BJP’s misadministration to continue,” he said.
Mr. Poojary also showered encomiums on Mr. Shetty, calling him as a “model leader” for accepting the party’s decision. The Congress has fielded Mohiuddin Bava as candidate from Suratkal, overlooking Mr. Shetty’s claim.
Mr. Poojary also sought to dissuade Hemanath Shetty from working against the party’s official candidate in Puttur. Mr. Poojary said there was no problem of infighting or “presence of rebels” amongst workers.
On the party’s strategy for the election, Mr. Poojary said he would strive to include rice at Rs. 1 per kg in the Congress manifesto.
“I don’t know if they have included this. But, if they have not, I will not leave Siddaramaiah (Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly) and G. Parameshwara (president of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee) until this promise was delivered,” he said.
