Mangalore : J R Lobo to Join Congress, Contender for Assembly Polls
Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Jul 25: In a significant development, former city commissioner of Mangalore, and executive director for Pilikula Nisargadhama Society, J R Lobo who has taken voluntary retirement from administrative services, has reportedly decided to join politics. Sources close to him told daijiworld that he will be joining Congress party within the next few days, and will emerge as one of the strong contenders for the upcoming assembly elections.
With the next Karnataka state assembly elections due by mid - 2013, there are hardly 7-8 months left to begin the election process. All major political parties are busy in finalising their candidates, however, several aspirants have also started lobbying for tickets from the respective political parties.
J R Lobo is expected to be one of the strong contenders from Congress party from Mangalore assembly constituency. Not being a primary member of the party, J R Lobo has surprised many Congress ticket aspirants in the city.
Ivan D'souza, who lost the last assembly elections with Congress ticket against BJP's Yogish Bhat, had been so far projected as the Congress candidate for the next assembly polls. But now, J R Lobo's name has created ripples among the Congress as well as political circles of Mangalore.
When daijiworld contacted Ivan about this development, he said that he was aware of the latest development. "I have been working for the party day and night ever since I joined in 2004. Even after losing the last elections, I have been in touch with people irrespective of caste or creed. I have worked for the welfare of all communities. People say I have been working for the constituency more than the current MLA. In such a situation, I strongly believe that the party is with me. I will get the ticket," he asserted.
On the other hand, a strong team with the help of Congress activists, corporators, and other leaders have started their groundwork to set the stage for J R Lobo's entry into the Congress fold.
In the month of August 2012, there will be a felicitation function for J R Lobo at Town Hall, which could be treated as a launching pad of J R Lobo's political career.
A bureaucrat with a clean image, who started his career as a tahsildar, went on to become assistant commissioner, MCC commissioner and Pilikula Nisargadhama executive director, besides holding a number of other important posts, 59-year-old J R Lobo has been working silently for the needy. His political innings could be interesting as he has hardly had any experience in politics.
Political circles in Mangalore are curiously looking forward to see whether an upright bureaucrat could fit into politics.
Apart from Ivan D'Souza and J R Lobo, there seem to be several other aspirants from Mangalore constituency. Suresh Ballal, Dolphy D'Souza Bantwal, Naveen D'Souza and Rohan Monteiro's names are also in the air for Congress ticket.