Cong RS nominees in Maha, Raj spell political death knell

Mumbai: The Congress party is likely to suffer the consequences of an apparent mismatch between its choice of candidates and states they have been fielded from for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections, particularly in Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who left for London a few days ago and is yet to return, has merely said that he will be available over videoconferencing if any problems arose over the RS polls.

In Maharashtra, senior Congress leaders, particularly from among the Muslim community, were incensed by the candidature of Imran Pratapgarhi (new find of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra), who was earlier appointed as minority unit head of the party.

Ironically, Baba Siddiqui was seeking a RS nomination from the Janta Dal party even as party colleagues were upset that no Muslim candidate could be found in Maharashtra.

Former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan told First India, “It is the prerogative of the high command who should be fielded. The party is building its AICC secretariat and it is not essential for RS candidates to have a regional footprint in the states that they are nominated from.”

However, it is reliably learnt that Chavan has formally suggested to to party Chief Sonia Gandhi seeking to stem resentment that Pratapgarhi be switched with Maharashtra-native Mukul Wasnik, who is being fielded from Rajasthan.

“There will be issues like cross-voting, some absenteeism, and even horse-trading. There is a danger for the sole Maharashtra Congress RS nominee. Pratapgarhi is backed by C Venugopalan and Ashok Chavan. This is sheer arrogance or a clear intention to finish off the party,” a senior Congress leader said.

Another Congress leader from Maharashtra lamented, “We have not had an elected structure in the party for the last 24 years. Otherwise, as per the Congress constitution, the CPB is an elected board that would be taking all decisions. Now the powers of the parliamentary board rest with the Congress president, which she has exercised. Our demand has been that CPB elections must be held.”