Dakshina Kannada Congress candidate visits Gokarnanatha temple in Mangaluru

MANGALURU: Congress candidate from Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency, R Padmaraj, performed puja at Kudroli Sri Gokarnanatha Kshetra temple in Mangaluru on Thursday. The temple was consecrated by Narayana Guru who was a saint and social reformer from Kerala.

After his temple visit, Padmaraj said that he was inspired by the teachings of Narayana Guru and that Congress’s ideology is in conformity with the teachings of the saint.

“I have been the trusty of this temple for the last 27 years. I was not interested in politics; I was an ordinary worker of the Congress party. The teachings of Narayana Guru suit the Congress principle, so I was following the party, but not active in politics”, he said.

“Something did restrict me from entering politics. Last year, when my name came into politics, I had not filed any applications. They conducted the survey and offered the assembly seat to me. This time also, a survey was conducted, and they offered the seat, so I thought that it was the guru’s wish hence I accepted it”, he added.

In the constituency, Padmaraj is pitted against Nalin Kumar Kateel from BJP who won the parliamentary elections in 2019 with a winning margin of 20.42 per cent, defeating Mithun M Rai from Congress.

Dakshina Kannada parliamentary constituency comprises 8 assembly segments — Belthangady, Moodabidri, Mangalore City North, Mangalore City South, Bantwal, Puttur, Sullia, Mangalore. The constituency goes to polls on April 26, and counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Meanwhile Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramiah on Thursday will be campaigning in Chikkbalapur for Congress candidate Raksha Ramaiah. Siddaramiah has been pitching the five guarantees of the Congress party to the voters.

“We are not people who get emotional and ask for votes. Those who build lives by responding to people’s feelings. If the Congress party comes to power at the centre, we will guarantee justice to six and a half crore Kannadigas of the country. Give your vote to us who walk the talk. We will dignify your every vote,” the CM said in his post on X.

Karnataka’s 28 seats will be contested in the second and third phases on April 26 and May 7. In 2019 general election, BJP won 25 seats, and Congress, the Janata Dal (Secular), and an independent candidate won each a seat. (ANI)