File photo of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee President Mohan Markam.
While the Congress is making all out efforts to make its 85th Plenary Session at Nava Raipur from February 24 to 26 a success, the absence of the Chhattisgarh unit chief from the posters put up along the way from the airport to the venue has raised eyebrows. A new beginning has been made. Controversy.
The campaign material put up on Wednesday afternoon by state Congress leaders, including Raipur Mayor Ejaz Dhebar, to welcome over 12,000 delegates, did not have any name or picture of Mohan Markam. Several party functionaries as well as supporters of the state unit chief later raised the issue with Congress state in-charge Kumari Selja, who was entrusted with the preparation of the programme.
“We got our point across loudly that a national-level conference was being organized in Raipur, but the person leading the state unit, also the chairman of the reception committee, was missing from the posters. Ms Kumari also expressed anger,” said a supporter of Mr Markam. It was then decided that his photographs would be pasted on the existing posters.
Pradesh Congress Committee general secretary (organisation) Ravi Ghosh issued an order on behalf of Mr Markam instructing party workers to take permission from the state unit or headquarters before putting up any propaganda material. While the order was seen as a result of the omission, Mr Markam said on Thursday it was issued to ensure that the material covered the history of the Congress and its symbols.
‘crack mark’
That didn’t stop the opposition BJP from describing the lapse as a mark of rift within the Congress and the humiliation of a “tribal leader”.
“This shows the respect Congress has for tribals. First it targeted TS Singh Deo [senior Cabinet Minister seen as a rival to the CM] And now Mohan Markam has been completely sidelined ahead of the plenary session. I feel [Chief Minister] Bhupesh Baghel wants to convey that he is the only leader in the organization of the state,” said former chief minister Raman Singh on Thursday.