Mangalore, April 15: Tension triggered at the Congress North Block office in Suratkal when Moideen Bava was declared as official candidate from Mangalore-North Assembly constituency, in the second list, released on April 14, Sunday.
‘Shetty’ being an able leader had sacrificed his ticket to Bava in 2008 but Bava miserably lost the election by huge margin.
Initially, when the talks of the Congress fielding a woman Kripa Alva and Shetty, began doing the rounds, the rivalry between Shetty and Bava intensified and both lobbied hard to ensure that the party gave them the ticket to contest from Mangalore North Assembly constituency.
The simmering Shetty-Bava animosity exploded when Bava was selected official candidate from Mangalore North constituency by the Congress high command on Sunday the April 14.
The angry supporters of Vijaya Kumar Shetty lost patience and began alleging that money had exchanged hands to ensure that party ticket was given to Moideen.
Shetty’s supporters justifying shetty as the right candidate, recollected that Moideen was defeated by K.J.Palemar in the previous election.
Party sources said that Moideen though aware of disappointment in Shetty’s Camp, decided to meet Shetty in his office in the evening to console and seek the support of Vijaya Kumar Shetty but supporters of Shetty prevented him from meeting their leader.
Monday being the last day for filing the nominations, anxious supporters of shetty waiting for Shetty’s stand and supporters of Shetty urged him to contest as an independent candidate but Shetty yet to reveal his stand.
