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Congress’s Choice for Rajya Sabha Including an “Austerity” Post – Cause Pain

May 30, 2022
Bharat Times

“Maybe there is something missing in my penance,” Mr Khera tweeted in Hindi.

New Delhi:

The Congress leadership has come under criticism after key leaders, including party spokesperson Pawan Khera, were dropped while selecting candidates for the Rajya Sabha.

Mr Khera, known for his defense of the party line in TV debates and media interactions, expressed his dismay over a Hindi tweet after the Congress released a list of 10 candidates for the Upper House.

“Maybe there is something missing in my penance,” Mr Khera tweeted in Hindi.

Mr Khera later congratulated his party colleagues, who were chosen by the high command.

He also tried to ease his dismay by saying that it was the Congress that gave him an identity.

Sharing a clip from an earlier conversation with Aaj Tak, he said, “‘Congress gave me an identity’. I still stand by my statement.”

Responding to a Twitter user who suggested him to “live for the country and not for the family”, Mr Khera said, “The family I stand with lives for the country and dies for it. The people of the Sangh Parivar cannot understand this sentiment.”

Congress has fielded Rajiv Shukla and Ranjit Ranjan from Chhattisgarh, Ajay Maken from Haryana, Jairam Ramesh from Karnataka, Vivek Tankha from Madhya Pradesh, Imran Pratapgarhi from Maharashtra, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari from Rajasthan and former Home Minister P Chidambaram. Dropped in. from Tamil Nadu.

The party has come under criticism for its Rajasthan candidates, none of whom belong to the state.

Congress MLA from Sirohi in Rajasthan Sanyam Lodha said the party has to explain why no one was nominated from the state. “Congress party should tell what is the reason for not making any Congress leader/worker from Rajasthan a candidate for Rajya Sabha elections?” He tweeted.

The party was also criticized on social media for not accommodating veteran leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma.

The party’s move to elect poet-turned-politician Imran Pratapgarhi was also criticized. Party leader and popular actor Nagma shared Mr Khera’s tweet and wrote, “Our 18 years of penance in front of Imran bhai also got cut short.”

The actor also said that Congress President Sonia Gandhi had committed to “settle” him in the Rajya Sabha when he joined the Congress in 2003. Referring to Mr Pratapgadhi’s selection, he asked if he was “less qualified”.

BJP’s Rajasthan unit chief Satish Poonia targeted the Congress over the selection of candidates. He tweeted, “Congress’s Chintan Shivir took place in Rajasthan. Now see another achievement of this thinking. Look at the quota of local candidates… who will be ‘Vocal’ without ‘Local’..?”

Voting will be held on June 10 for 57 Rajya Sabha seats in 15 states.