Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SP)
Mangalore, May 4: Moodbidri MLA and chief whip of the opposition in the state legislative assembly, Abhayachandra Jain, alleged that the ruling BJP has been resorting to dubious means to subvert chances of the opposition parties by preempting the rejection of the nominations filed by candidates for the gram panchayat elections. He was addressing a press conference here on Monday May 3.
To prove his allegation, Jain pointed out that two nomination papers filed by Congress-supported candidates in Malavoor gram panchayat had been rejected illegally. “The nomination of Nagesh Saphalya, a gram panchayat member since a decade, has been rejected because of non-payment of renewal fee for business licence. He has not been running any business now, and non-payment of charges automatically results in the cancellation of licence,” he explained.
The gram panchayat secretary, through a letter dated April 29, said that Saphalya has not paid renewal fee for the licence. On the next day, he informed that the licence in question stood cancelled. But, the nomination of Saphalya was rejected on the basis of April 29 letter, Abhayachandra claimed.
Jain also stated that in respect of Krishna Poojary, nomination was rejected because of pending house tax payment. “How can it be treated as non-payment when his appeal is pending hearing?” he questioned. He added that suits have been filed in the state High Court against the rejection of these nominations. He said influential leaders from the BJP had planned the rejection of several nominations, with the help of officials in Dakshina Kannada district.
He criticized the state government for its negligence towards road repairs, failure to meet drinking water requirement of people and failing to pay Rs 52 crore to a PWD contractor. He exuded the confidence that the candidates supported by the Congress Party will win most of the gram panchayat seats this time.
Congress leaders, Sadashiva Ullal, T K Sudhir, Vishwas Kumar Das, Mohan Mendon, Arun Coelho, Nazir and NSUI leader Supraraj Malli among others were present.