Mangaluru: As the MLC polls begin Congress and BJP leaders reached Mangaluru City Corporation to cast their votes, here on December 27.
After casting his vote, speaking to the mediapersons, MLA J R Lobo said, “I have cast my vote from the Mangaluru South Constituency at 8:30 am for the MLC election at MCC. There is discipline in the [Congress] party. All the party workers will surely maintain the same discipline and will cast their vote for our candidate. From the Congress party, our candidate will surely win the election.”
When asked about the other candidates from the Congress party who are contesting as independent candidates, Lobo replied, “It is natural to have independent candidates; we will not have any problems. There are a number of aspirants but there is discipline in the party and surely the Congress will win the MLC election.”
MLC Ivan D’Souza said that there are 63 voters in the Mangaluru South Constituency out of which 43 voters belong to the Congress party and have already cast their votes. “We have taken this election as a challenge because our own party members are contesting for the same election as independent candidates.”
Speaking to the mediapersons, MLA Moideen Bava said, “I have already cast my vote for our candidate. 12 corporators have also cast their votes for our candidate. There are 126 voters in my constituency and I have taken all the measures to see that they cast their vote for our candidate. J P Hegde and Harikrishna Bantwal are contesting the election as independent candidates by going out of the party. It is a challenge for the Congress party and surely our candidate Pratapchandra Shetty will win the election.”
After casting his vote, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel said, “BJP has only one candidate for the MLC election and we have chosen Kota Srinivas Poojary as our candidate. This election will create history, because the BJP will win the election by a huge margin. There is confusion in the Congress party because of three candidates contesting for the post, whereas the BJP has only one candidate and we have issued strict instructions for party workers to cast their vote for our candidate. The votes will be divided between the candidates in the Congress party and it will be very difficult for them to win the election.”
