Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (JS)

Mangaluru, Dec 24: In the wake of expelled Congress leaders Jayaprakash Hegde and Harikrishna Bantwal contesting the MLC elections as independent candidates, reportedly with the support of scores of Congress party workers, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary B K Hariprasad on Thursday December 24 said the party would give opportunities to all in due course of time.

Addressing a press meet at the district Congress office here, Hariprasad said, "I assure all the Congress party workers that the party will give a chance to all and will not deprive any worker of opportunities. In Rebel candidates (Jayaprakash Hegde and Harikrishna Bantwal) have contested from Dakshina Kannada constituency, but none of the representatives from Congress party will vote for them. All the elected representatives of Congress will vote for the Congress candidate (Pratapchandra Shetty). We are confident of winning 19 out of 25 seats across the state. All the party workers at the grassroots are united."

Criticising the BJP-led union government, he said, "BJP came to power promising achhe din (good days), bring back black money and a strong policy against terrorism, but it failed completely. BJP has levelled false allegations of corruption against Congress leaders; it could not prove a single allegation against former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

"BJP talks about corruption but its own leaders are facing corruption allegations. Arun Jaitley is involved in Delhi cricket association corruption scam. For 10 years (during UPA regime) he was talking against corruption, not allowing parliament session to run without the removal of the ministers accused of corruption. But now he is himself facing allegations of corruption. Then there is Vyapam scam in Madhya Pradesh. In Lalit Modi issue, no FIR was filed against Vasundhara Raje," he said.

Commenting on the National Herald case, he said, "Earlier, the BJP used Anna Hazare against the then Congress-led UPA government. Now it is using Subramanian Swamy for the same purpose in the name National Herald case. National Herald newspaper was started by Jawaharlal Nehru and when it became bankrupt, Congress party had given a loan of Rs 90 crore to pay the salary and gratuity to its employees. RSS is spreading unnessary rumours. Congress workers have shown their power by protesting across the country. BJP has lost in Delhi and Bihar and now it is indulging in political vendetta against the Congress."

Asked about claims by rebel candidates that Oscar Fernandes was to be blamed for giving MLC ticket to Pratapchandra Shetty, he said, "There are many workers in the party and all cannot be given the ticket. Oscar Fernandes will only do what is good for the party."

MLC Ivan D'Souza, Congress leaders Prithviraj, Vishwas Das, Nagendra, Ghafur, Sadashiv Ullal, T K Sudheer, Saleem Ullal, corporator Rauf, deputy mayor Purushotham Chitrapur and others were present.