Lok Sabha polls: Harsha Moily to be Congress candidate from Mangalore?
Political correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Dec 31: Though there is a general opinion among the Congress supporters in Mangalore that Janardhan Poojary should be given a final chance to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha election from Mangalore, the news emerging from the anti-Poojary camp could give some sleepless nights to Poojary and his supporters. If reports are to be believed, the 40-year-old son of union minister Veerappa Moily is in race for the LS seat from the prestigious Mangalore constituency.
Harsha seems to have suddenly become active in the Congress party at the district-level in the last few weeks. He has secretly camped in a Mangalore hotel and is holding a series of meetings with Congress workers, sources said.
Recently during Congress foundation day, Harsha was actively involved in the meetings at the district office and even prepared a press note for Ramanath Rai, it is said.
The only worry for Poojary camp is that Congress high command might go against him as he has lost elections more than three times. Rahul Gandhi who is looking for young candidates for some of the Lok Sabha constituencies could well support Harsha's candidature as he has close association with Harsha's father Veerapa Moily. The age and previous track record of losing elections might put Poojary in the backseat.
However, a majority of Congress supporters are in favour of Poojary, who has their sympathy since this could be the last election for him.
Harsha Moily had hardly participated in any official programme of the Congress in the past. Except for his involvement in his father's election campaign in the 1990s, Harsha was not seen much as a Congress party worker. But it is said that Harsha has been a Congress member for the last 20 years.
It may be recalled that recently he had convened a meeting at Sahodaya Hall at Balmatta to discuss Congress strategy for the upcoming elections. To counter this move, Poojary had convened a meeting at Shanthikirana hall, thus bringing out to the open the cold war within the Congress.
The US-educated Harsha's moves in the coming days could be worth observing not only for the Congress party but also for opposition BJP.