Sorake & Salian file Nomination papers
Sorake & Salian file Nomination papers
Udupi, Apr 18: Congress candidate Vinay Kumar Sorake s filed his nomination for the Kaup constituency at the old Udupi DC office (taluk office) on Wednesday April 17.
“I am contesting as a Congressman, I believe in the Congress party which has 127 years of experience and has made great contributions to society with loyalty,” he added.
Asked why he chose Kaup while he hailed from Puttur, Sorake said that he is a voter from Udupi and though he was MLA of Puttur 20 years ago, he was elected as MP and AICC secretary from Udupi.
Salian files nomination too:
Meanwhile, 7 time contestant from Kaup constituency, veteran politician Vasantha Salian who lobbied vehemently for a congress ticket, felt cheated by congress and said;
“The Congress high command has cheated me. In 2004 elections too there was a conspiracy against me which resulted in Gladys Almeida standing as an independent candidate, which in turn led to my defeat,” he lashed out. He further said that after Congress announced Sorake as the candidate, he got a call from JD(S) supremo Deve Gowda and his son Kumaraswamy to contest from JD(S).
Accompanied by JD(S) party district president Deviprasad Shetty, Salian said, “My first intention is to defeat Sorake, who tried his best in various ways to ensure that I do not get the ticket and succeeded too. BJP is also my main opponent and with the support of a majority of voters, I will win this poll.”
Cong confident of pacifying Salian?.
MANGALORE/UDUPI: Though unnerved by former minister Vasanth Salian breaking ranks from the Congress and filing his nomination on a JD(S) ticket for Kaup assembly constituency against party nominee and AICC secretary Vinay Kumar Sorake, party leaders still feel that they can convince Salian to withdraw his papers. If M Veerappa Moily, Union minister for petroleum and natural gas was unperturbed by Salian’s rebellion, former KPCC president B Janardhan Poojary feels Salian can be convinced to withdraw papers.
Citing the example of K Vijaykumar Shetty, who abandoned plans to contest as an independent from Mangalore City North against party nominee Mohiudeen Bava, Poojary said, “It is people like Vijaykumar Shetty, Vasanth Salian and their followers who have built the party and not me or even Sonia Gandhi. I am certain that they will not do anything that will mar the prospects of the party in these elections. I salute the sacrifice made by Vijaykumar,” he said.
On Salian, Poojary was clear. “He is a nice person, but family factors have forced him into this rebellion.”
Querying Salian if he had the wherewithal to win on a JD(S) ticket, Poojary said, “At best, Salian might end up denting Congress prospects in Kaup, and with that also burn bridges with the party that has given him practically all honour that any aspiring politician can hope to get.”
Admitting that it is common for workers to feel cheated when denied a party ticket, Poojary said, “Various factors work in favour or against a candidate and one must take in their stride.”
The party will never let their sacrifice go waste, Poojary said praising a similar decision by Hemanath Shetty to back down in favour of former BJP MLA K Shakuntala Shetty, now the party nominee in Puttur. “Hemanath led the party to a win in the recent urban local body polls in Puttur and the party is mindful of that,” he said.
Salian has contested seven times in the past and won on five occasions and his name was doing rounds till the final day. This move of Salian contesting from other than Congress will be a hot potato for the party, as he is the leader from the Billava community that constitute majority population in Kaup and has big number of followers.
Poojary confided that efforts are on to rope in Billava leader Jaya C Suvarna to convince Salian to withdraw his nomination.
