Date:21/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/21/stories/2008122152390300.htm

Karnataka

‘Congress not in position to challenge BJP’

Correspondent

Congress leaders making personal allegations against the Chief Minister: Shivanand Naik

‘Anand Asnotikar will win the byelection by
a sizeable margin’

Karwar: The former Minister and chairman of the Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Shivanand Naik has said that the Congress is a dying party.

Addressing presspersons here on Saturday, he said the Congress was not in a position to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in any of the eight Assembly constituencies where byelections would be held on December 27. Congress leaders were desperate, and that was why they were making personal allegations against the Chief Minister, he said.

Denying allegations that there was dissidence in the local BJP unit and that senior party workers were not campaigning for the party candidate from Karwar, Anand Asnotikar, Mr. Naik said that all office-bearers were working for ensuring Mr. Asnotikar’s victory.

He dismissed as rumours reports that party office-bearers had boycotted the press conference convened by BJP State spokesperson Dhannjaya Kumar because Mr. Asnotikar was present there.

Mr. Naik said it was surprising that Samajwadi Party leader S. Bangarappa was visiting Karwar to campaign for the Congress candidate.

He expressed confidence that Mr. Asnotikar would win the byelection by a sizeable margin.

District BJP unit president Vinod Prabhu and general secretary N.V. Hegde were present.