Parliament polls: Will Cong fieldMuslim candidate' in DK?

It is said that the Congress observers are heading to Mangalore to conduct a pre-poll survey and during this visit, the DK Muslim leaders will propose to the leaders the demand of fielding a Muslim candidate from the coastal district of Dakshina Kannada as the majority of Muslims of the district have only supported the Congress since the inception of the party.

The Muslim leaders say that there are 14 lakh voters in the district of whom six lakh are minorities and out of this a romping four lakh voters are Muslims. Hence victory of a Muslim candidate here will be for sure along with the traditional Congress votes.

Since 1991, the Congress candidates have tasted defeat six times and thus the constituency has become a fort of the BJP. If at all the Congress wants to put an end to the victory series of the BJP, it has to field a Muslim candidate this time, say the leaders.

What about Poojary?

Meanwhile, Congress stalwart B Janardhana Poojary, who had been silently working for the polls, assuming that he would be fielded by the Congress this time, may encounter some glitches. While the demand to field a Muslim candidate is gaining momentum with support from state leaders, this may pose an impediment for flight of Mr Poojary's dreams, who had tasted bitter defeat over the last four times already and is trying to contest the polls as if there is no another chance.

A possible name from the Muslim circles could be K S Mohammad Masood. But, surprisingly Mr Masood who has identified himself as a supporter of Mr Poojary has always maintained distance from the demand of Muslim leaders to field Muslim candidates.

Only time can unfurl the name of the candidate that the Congress will decide to field from the district.