No question of withdrawing nomination, asserts Harikrishna Bantwal

No question of withdrawing nomination, asserts Harikrishna Bantwal

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Dec 11, 2015 : Congress leader  Harikrishna Bantwal who has filed his nomination for the MLC election as an independent candidate has made it  clear that he will not withdraw his nomination.

Speaking to reporters here on December 11, Friday,  he said  now that he has filed his nomination, there was no question of backtracking. Slamming Rajya Sabha MP and former union minister  Oscar Fernandes, Harikrishna Bantwal said   it was because of Janardhana Poojary that Oscar became an MP. "It was Poojary who introduced Oscar to late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi," he asserted.

"Oscar  has no significant  achievement to his credit despite serving as  Lok Sabha MP for four terms and Rajya Sabha MP for three terms," he added.

Making it clear that politics was just his hobby and not a profession, Harikrishna Bantwal said  attaining power was not his sole objective. "Had I craved for power, I could have achieved it long back  as  senior Congress leader B Janardhana Poojary with whom I have an association of  nearly 33 years was close to late prime ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi," he said.

Making an indirect reference to  the Congress candidate Pratapchandra Shetty, he said  the party has granted ticket to a man who  had earlier revealed  that he was not interested in politics. He also pointed out how party workers had complained to him that Shetty  in his capacity as MLC has not attended even a single meeting of MCC and that neither was he visiting panchayats. He has even remained mum in the Legislative Council, Harikrishna Bantwal said and clarified that he was contesting as per the wishes of the part workers.

He even questioned the party for not finding any suitable candidate other than Pratapchandra Shetty when it had prominent leaders like A C Bhandary and Kallige Taranath Shetty who are also from the Bunt community.

 On the incidents that preceded his filing nomination, Harikrishna Bantwal said "Janardhana Poojary  who initially asked me not to contest, later  after four days assured to speak to  Sonia Gandhi. Even Minister Ramanatha Rai asked  me to contest and after deliberations with party leaders, he took me to Chief Minister  Siddaramaiah who asked me to speak to Oscar. Even KPCC Chief gave a similar suggestion. Mangaluru South MLA also came in support of me and I spoke to all party leaders  including State Ministers U T Khader, Vinay Kumar Sorake and MLAs Vasanth Bangera and  Pramod Madhwaraj."

"I even met Oscar twice and he said I was the best candidate. Ultimately I was not given a ticket," rued Harikrishna Bantwal.

He also declared that he was ready to face any consequences arising out of his decision to contest as an independent.