After embarrassing the Congress in Karnataka by a tweet alleging the hand of road contractors in the selection of candidates for the forthcoming elections to the Legislative Assembly, chairman of the party’s manifesto committee and former Union Minister M. Veerappa Moily disowned the tweet on Friday.
Both Mr. Moily and his son Harsha Moily have deleted the tweet. The tweet that Mr. Veerappa Moily claimed was an “unauthorised” one accused Public Works Minister H.C. Mahadevappa, without naming him, of using money power and his alleged nexus with corrupt contractors in selecting candidates for the Assembly elections.
“INC needs to solve money in politics. We can’t afford to have road contractors and their nexus with the state PWD minister determine how candidates are selected for the upcoming assembly elections,” stated the tweet posted late on Thursday. The same tweet also appeared on the Twitter handle of Mr. Harsha Moily.
Speaking to presspersons, Mr. Moily clarified, “I will not comment in public on the party’s internal affairs. The Twitter handle could have been hacked. I will never use a social media platform to criticise the party. It was an unauthorised tweet and I will have to find out who did it.”
Tussle within
However, it is reliably learnt that during a meeting held to shortlist the party’s candidates for various constituencies, at Devanahalli a few days ago, Mr. Mahadevappa ridiculed Mr. Veerappa Moily stating that there was no need for the party to post an agent in the Karkala constituency if Mr. Harsha Moily was fielded from there (implying that he would lose badly). Mr. Mahadevappa, sources in the party said, has been backing the candidature of contractor Uday Kumar in Karkala against the incumbent BJP MLA, Sunil Kumar.
Hurt by Mr. Mahadevappa’s comments, Mr. Veerappa Moily allegedly posted the comment against the Minister on Twitter, which he disowned after it went viral. Sources said AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K.C. Venugopal has sought an explanation from Mr. Moily on the matter.
Meanwhile, Mr. Mahadevappa, a loyalist of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said there was nothing to comment on the matter as Mr. Veerappa Moily had disowned the tweet.
In 2008, Congress leader Margaret Alva had alleged that election ticket was being “sold” in Karnataka when her son Nivedith was denied ticket.
