E-Paper
Chhattisgarh speaker faces a rough weather
Septegunarian Rajendra Prasad Shukla's school-boyish insistence for a party ticket, despite his deteriorating health, could well end his rather illustrious political career on a disappointing note.
Septegunarian Rajendra Prasad Shukla is an articulate politician. But his school-boyish insistence for a party ticket, despite his deteriorating health, could well end his rather illustrious political career on a disappointing note.
Voters in Kota, adjoining chief minister Ajit Jogi’s Marwahi constituency, had sent Shukla to the assembly since the last four consecutive terms but this time not only the triangular fight or his health but also a dissent among the Congressmen has slashed his odds.
As one lady Congress leader from the consituency puts it: “Only Congressmen can defeat a Congress candidate in this constituency”. This time the dissidents have a reason and they could well turn the tables on their own candidate.
Shukla even could not cover first round of campaigning in his constituency, primarily because of his leg problem. The Chhattisgarh Assembly speaker has been moving with the help of stick for the last four-five years and hence a sizeable section of the Congress leaders advised him to take retirement from political life.
The Congress, and particularly the chief minister, Ajit Jogi, also his known bete noire, tried his level best to deny him a ticket on this account. Instead, he wanted to give ticket to a fresher.One of the prominent contenders was, Nirija Dwivedi, daughter of former minister, Mathura Prasad Dube, who represented the constituency several times.
While initiating the move to deny Shukla a party nomination, Jogi supporters reportedly raised serious doubts about his winning due to the present health condition and his inactiveness in the constituency for the last couple of years.
But ‘Panditji’, as Shukla is known in the Congress circles, was adamant and had even threatened to leave the party and join the NCP. He even had a talk with NCP leader Vidya Charan Shukla for a ticket. This has led to a panic among the Congress. It would have been a disaster for the party who’s Speaker was defecting to the NCP and that’s why the party preferred to clear his name at the eleventh hour.
However, the way he was given the official nomination, a section of the Congress leaders are believed to have decided to teach him a lesson. His genuine fear is that the Kota Assembly constituency adjoins the Jogi’s Marwahi constituency. Shukla’s supporters believe that the veteran politician will get less help from his ‘neighbour’ and rather suspect sabotage.
Shukla managed to win in 1998 elections with a meagre margin of 1100 votes. He is facing Bhupendra Singh Thakur of BJP while former Congress leader, Pradip Pande, has thrown his hut from the NCP.
Political observers here feel that Pande, the NCP nominee, would only spoil the chances of Shukla and thus benefit the BJP. Besides, the internal problems of the local Congress have also made it vulnerable for a smooth sailing.
If Shukla succeeds to overcome from the internal party problems, he may retain the traditional Congress seat, which never went to the Opposition so far. But this seems a far cry for Shukla.
