Because a CRUD app doesn't require any serious computing performance from the application, making C++ unnecessary. If another implementation won the race to functional completion, then... needless to say... it was the one to go with.

Today you'd probably just use browser-based UI.

Also if you've spent time in corporate development (rather than a software company), I think this scenario is a common one. If you show management a prototype that works, they're going to ask why we don't just make that the product. And if you don't have a good reason... you don't have a good reason.