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Cong rebel Makwana launches own party
Yogendra Makwana, a dalit leader from Gujarat, on Saturday floated a new outfit the National Bahujan Congress Party.
Yogendra Makwana, who was removed by the Congress as the head of the party's scheduled castes department after he earned the Congress’ wrath by demanding a probe into cash-for tickets allegations by Margaret Alva, on Saturday floated a new outfit the National Bahujan Congress Party.
Makwana, a dalit leader from Gujarat, in a chargesheet accused the Congress of neglecting and misleading the poor and the dalits. He also alleged a coterie around Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and cited fresh examples of sale of tickets in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh where a nomination was sold for Rs 5 crore.
“We have lost faith in the Congress as it is no more the Congress which stands for the poor people… Many leaders like Sharad Pawar, P.A. Sangma, Mamata Bannerjee and other have been forced to leave the party. Many are under pressure and will leave the Congress because of the anti-people policies of the present group of sycophants and self-seekers, who surround the Congress leadership,'' he alleged.
Makwana, however, refrained from directly attacking Sonia and Rahul Gandhi.
He said his outfit would contest elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. He sidestepped questions about the source of funding for the polls, claiming that the candidates would contest on a shoestring budget.