Lok Sabha Elections 2019: Denied ticket, disgruntled leader attacks Congress candidate in Gorakhpur
The attack followed a visit by Congress secretary Sachin Naik. Naik who had come to review poll preparations, also faced the ire of workers who shouted ‘Go-back’ slogans against him.
The car of Sant Kabir Nagar Congress candidate Parvez Khan was pelted with stones and rotten eggs by angry supporters of Rohit Pandey, another Congress leader, who was denied a ticket in the list issued earlier this month.
While Khan, who is also the district president of the party escaped unhurt, glass of his car was broken. The attack followed a visit by Congress secretary Sachin Naik. Naik who had come to review poll preparations, also faced the ire of workers who shouted ‘Go-back’ slogans against him. The incident took place when, at the meeting, the demand to replace Khan with Rohit Pandey, was turned down by Naik, who asked the candidate to show respect to the party decision and work unitedly.
This further angered the Pandey faction, which had earlier protested by smearing Khan’s poster black at the party office. Pandey’s supporters were of the view that Pandey had worked hard for long to strengthen party at ground level, while Khan did nothing except hold the post. They told Naik that by fielding Khan the party would surely lose as he would only get 4,000 to 5,000 votes.
“This time, we protested by pelting stones and eggs and next we won’t allow Khan to enter the office,” said a supporter of Pandey. When contacted, Khan refused to comment saying that he will put the issue before party leadership.
Earlier, on Sunday, Naik faced the ire of party workers during a poll preparation review meeting in Basti, where the party has shared the seat with Jan Adhar Party, floated by Babu Singh Kushwaha.
