KPCC president ‘sold the ticket’ of Mangaluru City North constituency, alleges former Congress MLA
The Hindu
Former Congress MLA B.A. Mohiuddin Bava, who joined the Janata Dal (Seuclar) to contest as its candidate from Mangaluru City North, alleged on Thursday, April 20, that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar has “sold the party ticket” to Inayat Ali, the official candidate of the Congress from Mangaluru City North.
Former Congress MLA B.A. Mohiuddin Bava, who joined the Janata Dal (Seuclar) to contest as its candidate from Mangaluru City North, alleged on Thursday, April 20, that the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president D.K. Shivakumar has “sold the party ticket” to Inayat Ali, the official candidate of the Congress from Mangaluru City North.
Speaking to press persons, Mr. Bava, who is facing the election for the fourth time, alleged that Mr. Shivakumar ensured that he did not get the ticket.
“I was made to rush to Thiruvananthapuram and to Delhi to meet the party top leaders for the Congress ticket. Finally, the party backstabbed me,” he said.
Mr. Bava, who became emotional and shed tears, said that his name figured twice in the All India Congress Committee (AICC) list of the probable candidates. But, finally Mr. Shivakumar made him (Mr. Bava) a scapegoat. “The KPCC president has now (by denying ticket to Mr. Bava) donated the Mangaluru City North seat to the BJP,” Mr. Bava said adding that Mr. Shivakumar has snatched a seat of the Congress (from Mangaluru City North).
Mr. Bava claimed that in a survey conducted by the Congress, 78% of the workers in Mangaluru City North had said that he should be fielded from the constituency.
Mr. Bava was elected to the Assembly for the first time in 2013. He had lost elections in the same constituency in 2008 and 2018 elections.
Both Mr. Bava and Mr. Ali were strong contenders for the Congress ticket. Keeping the suspense hanging on, the Congress announced its candidate for the constituency only late in the evening on April 19.