BM Farooq issue: Mohiuddin Bava will not betray Congress, says KPCC chief

Bengaluru, May 31: Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara has extended moral support to Mangaluru North MLA BA Mohiudin Bava, who was warned by chief minister Siddaramaiah for failing to convince BM Farooq to refrain from contesting Rajya Sabha polls on JD(S) ticket.

Mr Bava is the Congress MLA from Mangaluru city north constituency, while his younger brother Farooq, a realtor, has jumped into the RS election fray as the JD(S) nominee.

Responding to CM's statement, Mr Parameshwara said that BM?Farooq was free to take independent decisions though he happened to be the brother of Mr Bava.

The KPCC chief, while finding no fault with Mr Bava, said that just because Farooq was Bava's brother, it didn't mean he was not free to take “independent decisions”.

Mr Parameshwara said he was certain that the Congress MLAs would not betray the party. “All our MLAs are with us, including Mr Bava. We are certain to win,” he added.

Siddu's warning

Earlier on Monday Mr Siddaramaiah warned Mr Bava at the Congress legislature party meeting held at the Vidhana Soudha on Monday that the latter will not get the party ticket to contest the next Assembly polls if his brother – JD(S) candidate Farooq – does not withdraw from the fray.

The Congress legislature party meeting was convened to introduce the party's candidates for the Rajya Sabha and the Legislative Council polls.

Angered by Farooq's move, Siddaramaiah took Bava to task at the party meeting. When the MLA tried to wash his hands of saying he had nothing to do with his brother's decision, the chief minister curtly retorted asking him why he had recently approached him seeking clearance of Farooq's wind-energy project if he had nothing to do with his brother's affairs.

“The party has been facing embarrassment because of you and your brother. You should ensure that he (Farooq) withdraws. Otherwise, the party will not give you the ticket to contest in the next polls (2018 assembly polls),” sources quoted Siddaramaiah as saying at the meeting.

The Congress would not find it difficult to get its first two candidates – Oscar Fernandes and Jairam Ramesh – getting elected. But the third candidate – K?C?Ramamurthy – would have to get non-Congress votes to win. Sources said the Congress leaders had told Mr Bava that his brother should back out in the interest of his political career. They even went to the extent of accusing him of joining hands with the JD(S) to embarrass the Congress in the Rajya Sabha polls.

Also Read: CM takes on MLA Bava over BM Farooq contesting RS polls on JD(S) ticket