After the dismal performance in the municipal elections in Nagpur, the Congress leaders in Nagpur instead of introspecting the cause of the failure, are now more busy to point fingers at each other.
The former PCC chief, Ranjit Deshmukh, who was ignored by the PCC chief Prabha Rau while distributing the tickets of civic bodies’ elections, has fired the first salvo against Rau and her `coterie’ in Nagpur on Monday by accusing them for `auctioning’ party tickets in the elections.
Deshmukh blamed Rau and her associates for distributing AB forms to more than one candidate in several wards in Nagpur that confused the traditional Congress voters. "The party high command should take stern action against the PCC vice president, Prabhatai Ozha and general secretary, Nitin Deshpande, who were entrusted to distribute AB forms to candidates," he pointed out and also sought action against the Guardian minister for Nagpur district, Satish Chaturvedi and Union minister, Vilasrao Muttemwar for taking for a ride to the party during the polls.
According to him, both the ministers worked against each other in the elections that seriously affected the poll prospects of the official candidates. “Moreover, the party had given tickets to those who worked against me in the last Assembly elections in West Nagpur constituency,” he alleged and informed that he would meet the party chief Sonia Gandhi in this regard soon and apprise the whole situation.
{{/usCountry}}According to him, both the ministers worked against each other in the elections that seriously affected the poll prospects of the official candidates. “Moreover, the party had given tickets to those who worked against me in the last Assembly elections in West Nagpur constituency,” he alleged and informed that he would meet the party chief Sonia Gandhi in this regard soon and apprise the whole situation.
{{/usCountry}}Deshmukh pointed out that the selection process of official candidates was totally wrong. He alleged that the there was a big corruption and a scandal in distributing the party tickets. The Congress high command should inquire the matter through an independent panel immediately, he insisted.
On the other hand, Ozha blamed Deshmukh for the party’s poor performance in West Nagpur for fielding rebel candidates from almost all wards in the area, which led to the defeat of official candidates.
Meanwhile, the former state Youth Congress general secretary, Nana Thakre, senior Congress leader, Bhushan Dadve, Sandip Soni and several other Congress leaders in the region also demanded immediate resignation of PCC chief Rau for her failure to lead the party in the civic polls.
The Congress that bagged only 33 seats in the just concluded municipal elections, had 59 seats in a 136-member house in last elections.
E-mail Pradip Kumar Maitra: pradipmaitra@hindustantimes.com