The party had fielded him as its candidate in the 2024 Lok Sabha election in Dakshina Kannada. Mr. Poojary, 56, lost against Capt. Brijesh Chowta of the BJP by a margin of 1,49,208 votes. Both were novices to the Lok Sabha polls.
Sources in the Congress said that it is for the first time in Dakshina Kannada the party has elevated a new entrant to the top position to lead the party at the crucial time when elections to the local bodies, including zilla and taluk panchayats, Mangaluru City Corporation, and to the Legislative Assembly are not far away.
Earlier, Mr. Poojary did not hold any position either at the junior or senior levels in the ward, taluk or district units of the party. The party made him general secretary of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) in 2023 ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha election. He was kept out of this post after the KPCC was reshuffled.
Sources said leaders like K.K. Shetty, who was MP, Mahabala Shetty, Blasius D’Souza, who was MLC, MLA, and Minister, K. Tejomaya, former chairman of Mangaluru Urban Development Authority, B. Ramanath Rai, who was MLA and Minister and K. Harish Kumar, former MLC and presently chairman of Mescom, had led the party, since 1970s, either as regular or in-charge presidents of DKDCC and were known to the party cadre.
Mr. Padmaraj had identified himself with senior Congress leader and former Union Minister B. Janardhana Poojary but joined the Congress in 2023. He is associated with the management of Kudroli Gokarnanatha temple.
Sources said that some of the senior leaders of the party are unhappy over the elevation of Mr. Padmaraj at the cost of staunch followers of the Congress. Incidentally, many senior and middle level leaders of the party kept themselves away from attending a press conference called by Mr. Padmaraj at the Congress office on Thursday.
With the BJP’s Dakshina Kannada president representing Billava community, a dominent one which can influence the outcome of elections, now the Congress, its prime political opponent, president too represents the same community.
It is yet to be seen whether Mr. Padmaraj’s appointment will help the Congress to take away six of eight Assembly seats held by the BJP in the district, in the 2028 election. It will be interesting to watch whether the Congress will be able to take on the BJP in the coming election to Mangaluru City Corporation council. The saffron party had won the immediate last election held to the council in 2019.
