They are dejected as Shiv Sena (UBT) bags Byculla, Versova, and Vile-Parle. Only solace is Bandra (W)
Mumbai: A large number of Congressmen including long-time loyal party workers are upset with the way the party has been allocating its seats for the upcoming Assembly polls. Many allege that the party has been deliberately allocating seats to weaker candidates instead of strong and able ones who may have a chance at winning and can lead the party to victory.
The Congress as part of the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance which includes the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP) appears to have limited access over which seats it can and cannot contest. Due to pressure from the alliance partners, the party was forced to let go of the seats of Byculla, Versova and Vile-Parle to Shiv Sena (UBT), which has led to unrest within the party workers. Added to that, workers point out that candidates which appear to have a strong track record of winning in these elections have been sidelined.
A Congressmen on conditions of anonymity cites an example of ex-Congress corporator Ravi Raja from Sion-Koliwada. He was denied an election ticket. Shamim Ansari from Byculla is another example. He too had toiled hard in the constituency. Both have been ignored despite their names making it to the final list of aspiring candidates.
“Raja has been a councilor for nearly five terms and an Opposition leader in the BMC. Despite 45 years of his service to the party his name was dropped at the last minute,” said a leader. “Ansari too does not have a chance anymore because that seat has now gone to the Sena”.
“A certain section of MLAs has fought vehemently for the Byculla and Versova seats but in vain. We were worried about the Bandra (West) constituency. The party does not give into pressure and allotted it to Asif Zakaria, a deserving candidate,” said another Congress leader.
This leader says Maharashtra may go the Haryana way for the Congress if things are not looked into and taken seriously.
Nizamuddin Rayen, Spokesperson for the Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC), said that not much should be read into such things as they happen during elections. “The Congress is in a good position within the MVA. Every deserving candidate will get a ticket. Those who don’t get are bound to get upset but they need not worry as our leaders will speak to them and convince them that it is the betterment of the party,” he said.
Comments