JD(S) leader and MLC BM Farooq speaking at a press conference in Mangaluru on Sunday, April 30, 2023. , Photo Credit: HS Manjunath
BA Mohiuddin Bawa, the Janata Dal (Secular) candidate from Mangaluru City North assembly constituency, who was a former Congress MLA from the same constituency, will get sympathy votes as the Congress has given him a ticket to contest in this election after waiting till April 20. refused to give. Last day for filing nominations, MLC and JD(S) working president BM Farooq said here on Sunday.
Speaking to reporters, Mr. Farooq, who is Mr. Bawa’s brother, said that his brother was the frontrunner for the Congress ticket from the Mangaluru City North constituency. He had the support of more than 70% of the office bearers of the Congress party. “My brother had to work very hard. Around midnight (between 19 and 20 April), the Congress released the final list and declared Inayat Ali, an outsider, as the Congress candidate. This was done at the insistence of state Congress chief DK Shivakumar, who has taken money (from Ali) to make this change,” Mr Farooq alleged.
Then, Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda later declared Mr Bava as the JD(S) candidate for the constituency, he said.
Claiming that Mr. Bawa has good support in the communities for the work he (Mr. Bawa) has done as an MLA, Mr. Farooq said, “H will also get sympathy votes. We JD(S) will win and open our account in Karavali constituency.
Asked about the alleged kidnapping of the JD(S) candidate and forcing her to withdraw her nomination from the Mangaluru (erstwhile Ullal) assembly constituency, Mr. Farooq said that an FIR has been lodged against the Congress workers concerned.
Shri Deve Gowda will campaign for Shri Bava on 1st May. Mr. Farooq said that the party supremo would reach Mangaluru around 1 pm. He will take part in a convention of workers at Gurupura Kakamba here at 5 pm. Party leader HD Kumaraswamy said he would take part in campaigning for Mr Bava on May 5.