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MANGALORE: The battle scarred veteran, B Janardhan Poojary, 75, is neither resting on his previous laurels nor his seniority. He is taking the ’mini-polls’ as seriously as the ensuing big poll itself.

He is making pitched efforts to see that he wins absolute numbers in the Mangalore primaries so that it leaves no doubt in anybody’s mind why he is the right candidate to be given the ticket for the Mangalore Lok Sabha Constituency. Power to you through primaries,’’ is the buzzword of Poojary during his hectic campaigning, which has left his lieutenants without their dinner in the last three days.

I’m telling the voters (though they know) what my achievements are and what I have done for the welfare of the people during my tenure (as union minister),’’ said Poojary who was the first to welcome the primaries in spite of his supporters felt slighted that a senior was being made to go through this selection process.

His main pitch is that the party workers have been given decision-making powers. You have to make the decision and you have the responsibility of selecting the right candidate. Leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have decentralized the decision making process thus giving the power to you,’’ is Poojary’s line of campaigning to the primaries voters who number 598 after the scrutiny by the observers. Select a person who is honest and fights even against his own government when it goes against the welfare of the people,’’ said Poojary who has launched many a tirades against the Siddaramaiah government on some unpopular decisions.

The veteran also kindles hope among the party workers saying that he has agreed to this experiment, though a senior, because if the experiment is successful, it will be extended to all 543 candidates.

One need not go to the High Command or to Bangalore or grovel before anybody for a ticket. Even though there are less number of voters in the primaries, next time all will get a chance to select who should represent them,’’ Poojary explains to his party workers at every meeting held from the past three days.

Of the 16 blocks, two for each assembly constituency, Poojary through his whirlwind campaign which starts from 10am to 8pm, has finished almost 70% of it. The day, Harsha Moily’s candidature was rejected he finished meeting the corporators. While he finished Mudipu, Ullal, Mulki and Moodbidri on Wednesday, Thursday his campaign was in Sullia, Kadaba, Puttur, Vittla and Gurupur. Friday, he will finish his home assembly constituency Bantwal, Panemangalore, then move on to, Belthangady, Ujire, Mangalore North and South. Saturday, he will have Surathkal block left.

The hectic campaigning has left his close aides panting and without rest. They have not had dinner from the past three days. Fortunately, we could have evening tea. It’s amazing that he does all this talk and walk at this age, that too by having just gruel and chutney for his morning breakfast,’’ said a close aide.