Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (MSP)
Pics: Shekar Ajekar

Karkala, May 30: Though it may have lost the chance to form government in the state, the Congress in Karkala rejoiced in the victory of its candidate Gopal Bhandary with a victory march to Swaraj Maidan here on Thursday May 29.

Felicitating Bhandary, chairman of the Central Administrative Reforms Commission M Veerappa Moily said that the public in general are growing suspicious of the intentions of BJP and apprehensive of their future, as the state BJP led by Yeddyurappa has resorted to dubious means to wrest power in the state, by joining hands with independent MLAs.

BJP does have more legislators than other parties in the state now, but it is a fact that it does not have absolute majority. On the face of it, it appears that the BJP has won the battle this time, but it has totally failed to win over the people's hearts. If we segregate the votes polled and take into account total votes polled by individual parties, it becomes clear that the Congress has a clear edge in 15 out of 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, he analyzed.

'Our party had the opportunity to form the government this time as five of the independent legilators backed us, but we rejected the offer in order not to inflict any damage to the party's stature at the national level,' Moily claimed, posing a challenge to the BJP to show its mettle by running the state government for the full term, a feat which could only be achieved by the Congress party till now.

Newly-elected MLA H Gopal Bhandary said, that the BJP won this constituency in the last edition, by flaunting money power and putting to use its oratory skills. The people of Karkala have woken up to that truth during the last five years. They leaned towards truth and justice this time, rejected efforts put in by the BJP to mislead them and wholeheartedly supported the Congress, he reasoned.

Block Congress presidents Prasanna Ballal, Aveline R Louis, secretary B Rajesh Shenoy, zilla panchayath member Dr Santhosh Kumar Shetty, youth Congress president Bhavani Shankar, party women's wing president Malini Rai, State Minorities Commission general secretary Imtiaz Ahmed, municipal president Seetharam, vice president Nalini Acharya, Karkala town unit presdent Subit N R, chairman of the municipal standing committee Ashfaq Ahmed, Nagesh Suvarna Nitte and other leaders were present.

A victory procession was taken out through the city roads to the function venue, before the felicitation programme began.

B Rajesh Shenoy accorded welcome. Bipin Chandra Paul compered the programme and Subit N R proposed the vote of thanks.