Congress will field youngsters if they are winning candidates: M. Veerappa Moily

MANGALURU

A member of the Central Election Committee of the Congress and former Chief Minister M. Veerappa Moily said here on Sunday that the party will certainly field young workers in the forthcoming State Assembly elections if they are winnable candidates.

Talking to reporters before his meeting with seat aspirants and Congress leaders from Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, Mr. Moily said that party certainly prefers young candidates.

Mr. Moily said that the District Congress Committees have given a list of candidates. The lists will be scrutinised by the party’s screening committee in a couple of days and names will be forwarded to the Central Election Committee headed by the party president Mallikarjun Kharge. “The first list of candidates would be released by the end of this month,” he said.

Asked about many aspirants for the party ticket in several constituencies in the State, Mr. Moily said this was indication of the party coming back to power in Karnataka. “More aspirants means party workers are sure of winning seats,” he said. There is favourable atmosphere for the party in Karnataka.

Criticising the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government for the corruption charges, Mr. Moily said the BJP MLAs are being accused of demanding commission not just for clearing bills and sanctioning works, but also for release of grants to mutts. “Unfortunately we hear this allegations against our (Dakshina Kannada) MLAs too. If we (Congress) come to power, we will certainly prosecute these MLAs,” he said.

Despite making a number of visits to Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Home Minister Amit Shah have failed to speak with local BJP workers to understand the local problems and address them. The two leaders also do not know the history of Coastal Karnataka.

“Recently, Mr. Shah asked people (in Puttur) whether they want Congress that valorises Tippu Sultan or the BJP that valorises Rani Abbakka. Mr. Shah does not know that soldiers of Rani Abbakka who fought against Portuguese were Bearys (Muslims) and Mogaveeras (fishermen),” he said. In the function of CAMPCO at Puttur last month, Mr. Shah failed to acknowledge contribution of Congressman Varanasi Subaraya Bhat in the growth of CAMPCO, he said.