Mangalore: Congress rejects Harsha Moily’s nomination

 

Mangalore , 02 Mar 2014: The attempt of Union minister M Veerappa Moily’s son Harsha to enter electoral politics suffered a huge setback with the Congress rejecting his nomination on Sunday.

 

With this, only two candidates are left in the fray for Mangalore Lok Sabha primaries - B Janardhan Poojary and U K Monu - in which voters will choose the Congress candidate to contest the coming polls.

 

Harsha Moily is CEO and founder of MokshaYug Access.

 

Lok Sabha returning officer Pramod Kumar told that "Harsha had filed his nomination under ’a person of standing in public service/ social cause’ format. The AICC rejected it as the nominee does not fall in that category."

 

Harsha said: "There’s nothing to be concerned. I’m awaiting clarification from the Congress. It should be resolved by Monday." Veerappa Moily was busy at a function to offer any comment.

 

Veerappa Moily’s confidant K Thejomaya, vice-president of the district Congress, said: "It is shocking that he was not considered a person of social standing. He is the president of Mahatma Gandhi Residential School at Kukkandoor, which provides free boarding and lodging to the destitute. Moreover, his MokshaYug Access has formed many NGOs at Raichur, which has close to a lakh members. We’ll appeal against his rejection."

 

returning officer Kumar said there was no appeal clause and clarified that no other contestants or party workers had appealed against his candidature.

 

The candidate handbook also clearly states that the decision of AICC general secretary/ secretary in charge of the pilot is final on claim made by candidate to be a person of standing in public service/ social cause.

 

Meanwhile, the poll symbols have been allotted to the contestants in the Mangalore primaries. Veteran leader B Janardhan Poojary has been allotted the ’aeroplane’ symbol and the other contestant U K Monu, has been given ’cricket bat’ symbol.

 

On rejection of Harsha’s nomination Poojary refused comments saying that it would not be in good taste.