LS polls: After 5 defeats Janardhana Poojary, 82, threatens to rebel against Cong. Here’s why...

Mangaluru, Mar 14: Congress veteran and former union minister has threatened his party high command that he would contest as a rebel candidate from Dakshina Kannada if the party gives ticket to M N Rajendra Kumar, President of South Canara District Central Co-op Bank Ltd.

82-year-old Poojary, who in the past has served as the General Secretary of All India Congress Committee as well as President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, had registered successive victories in four Lok Sabha polls in Dakshina Kannada before facing five back to back defeats in the same constituency against different BJP candidates.

Speaking to media persons today here, the Billava stalwart said that even though the Congress has not considered him while short-listing the names of the aspirants from Dakshina Kannada, he would meet incumbent Congress supremo Rahul Gandhi and former supremo Sonia Gandhi within a couple of days and demand ticket for the 2019 polls.

He said that he was aware that there were many aspirants from Dakshina Kannada such as B Ramanath Rai, Rajendra Kumar, B K Hariprasad and Vinay Kumar Sorake. However, he said that at any cost the party should not field Rajendra Kumar, who according to him is corrupt.

Poojary also opposed MLC Ivan D’Souza’s candidature. “I am sure D’Souza will not get the ticket and if he gets, I will contest against him too,” he said.

“If the party ignores my plea and fields Rajendra Kumar, then I will for sure contest independently,” warned Mr Poojary. However, he did not clarify if he would rebel against the party even if it fields a candidate belonging to his own Billava community.