A day after the Congress announced its candidates for the Rajya Sabha, the top leadership has been criticized for ousting key leaders, including party spokesperson Pawan Khera.
The Congress on Sunday announced 10 candidates for the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections, fielding former Union ministers P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken as well as party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. The list includes two leaders – former Union ministers Mukul Wasik (Rajasthan) and Vivek Tankha (Madhya Pradesh) – who were among a group of 23 leaders who called on Congress president Sonia Gandhi for a massive organizational change in 2020.
However, some leaders are not happy with being ‘abandoned’. In a post directed at his non-selection, Khera said, ‘Maybe my tapasya mein kuch kammi raha hai’ (Maybe there was something lacking in my tapasya).
‘Remember Yourself’
— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) 29 May 2022
But after speculation over his tweet, the national spokesperson of the Congress was seen ‘withdrawing’ his earlier sentiments. In another tweet shared hours after the previous one, Khera said that he was given his identity by the Congress, and he still holds to that belief.
‘I have been given sleep’
It sure is sure. https://t.co/zbc6LNwy5n— Pawan Khera (@Pawankhera) 30 May 2022
But it may be difficult for the party to reassure other leaders, who were more direct in their complaint. “Sonia ji our Congress President personally committed to include me in Rajya Sabha in 2003/04 when I joined Congress party at his behest. We were not in power then. It’s been 18 years since then. “He didn’t get any chance. Mr. Imran has been ordained in RS Fram Maha. I ask if I am less qualified,” said Congress leader and actor Nagma Arvind Morarji.
Sonia ji our Congress President personally committed to include me in Rajya Sabha in 2003/04, when I joined Congress party at his behest, we were not in power. It’s been 18 years since then, he hasn’t got an opportunity, Mr Imran has been accommodated in RS Fram Maha I. ask am i less qualified
— nagma (@nagma_morarji) 30 May 2022
Nagma is the General Secretary of Mahila Congress in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Puducherry. She is also the Vice President of the Indian National Congress, Mumbai. Responding to Khera’s tweet, he said that he had lost 18 years in front of Imran Prapathagiri of UP, who was accommodated as a candidate from Maharashtra.
“There is a congregation in the party and the same congregation will be transplanted in Parliament,” an ‘angry’ senior leader told the Telegraph.
Congress chose ‘outsiders’
According to the list released by the party, Chidambaram has been fielded from Tamil Nadu, Ramesh from Karnataka, Maken from Haryana and Surjewala from Rajasthan. The Congress has also fielded Pramod Tiwari from Rajasthan, former Union ministers Rajiv Shukla and Ranjeet Ranjan from Chhattisgarh and Imran Pratapgarhi from Maharashtra.
Of the 10 leaders, five are former Union ministers – Chidambaram, Ramesh, Maken, Shukla and Wasnik. Three are from Uttar Pradesh – Shukla, Tiwari and Imran Pratapgarhi, who also heads the minority cell of the Congress.
Interestingly, the Congress has chosen ‘outsiders’ in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, two states where the party is in power on its own.
Of the 55 vacancies to be filled in the Rajya Sabha in the next two months, seven members of the Congress – Chidambaram (Maharashtra), Ramesh (Karnataka), Ambika Soni (Punjab), Tankha (Madhya Pradesh), Pradeep Tamta (Uttarakhand), Kapil Sibal (Uttar Pradesh) ) and Chhaya Verma (Chhattisgarh) – will complete their term.
Congress is likely to get 10 Rajya Sabha seats in the upcoming election cycle. The party is likely to bag three seats in the Upper House as well, if it manages to bag all the three seats falling vacant in Rajasthan. The party will get two seats in Chhattisgarh, where it is in power, one each in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, where it shares power with other like-minded parties.
Congress is likely to get one seat each in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka on the strength of its MLAs in these states.
For Jharkhand, Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Sunday said the ruling alliance in the state would field a joint candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat, which is likely to win, and dismissed suggestions that there was any difference of opinion with ally Congress. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, however, did not say whether the candidate would be from his party or the Congress and said that the name would be announced from Ranchi.
Ramesh, a three-time Rajya Sabha member, is set to get a fourth term from Karnataka.
Elections will be held on June 10 to fill 57 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 states that fell vacant due to retirement of members on different dates between June and August. The last date for filing nominations is May 31.
With input from agencies
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