BENGALURU: Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee leader Mohammed Haris Nalapad on Monday occupied office as president of youth wing by performing some rituals at the Congress Bhavan on Race Course Road. Soon after assuming office, he visited KPCC president D K Shivakumar and Congress campaign committee chairman M B Patil and sought their blessings.
As per an earlier agreement, the incumbent KPYCC president Raksha Ramaiah’s term ends on January 31 and Nalapad was to take charge on February 1. But Tuesday being a new moon day, which is not considered auspicious, Nalapad performed the rituals on Monday itself, one of his supporters told TNIE. He is expected to officially take charge on February 10, he added. “After obtaining the consent of the AICC and incumbent KPYCC president Raksha Ramaiah, I am assuming charge. My aim is to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister of India,” Nalapad told reporters.
“As per the decision taken earlier by IYC, @nalapad will take over the charge as @IYCKarnataka President with immediate effect. We wish you good luck for future endeavours (sic)”, Indian Youth Congress president Srinivas B V tweeted.
Nalapad, along with his grandfather N A Mohammed and father N A Haris, and their supporters, organised an all-religion event in which ‘havan’ was held as per Hindu rituals and prayers were also offered as per Islamic and Christian customs.
The polls to elect KPYCC office-bearers, including the president, were held between January 10 and 12 last year virtually due to Covid-19 restrictions. There were also allegations about Nalapad winning the polls allegedly by ‘illegal’ means with the help of Bitcoin scam key accused Sriki.
Although he had garnered 64,203 votes against Raksha Ramaiah’s 57,271, the issue went all the way to the party high command. Besides, since Nalapad was facing criminal charges in a pub attack case, his taking charge was deferred. Following this, Raksha became president and after Srinivas B V intervened, it was decided that the former’s term will end on January 1, 2022 to pave the way for Nalapad to take charge.