Date:28/11/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/11/28/stories/2002112809801200.htm

National

Cong. panel sore over ticket distribution

By Our Special Correspondent

AHMEDABAD NOV. 27 . The Ahmedabad city district Congress committee is virtually on a warpath protesting the denial of ticket to its president, Rajkumar Gupta, to contest the elections to the Gujarat Assembly from the Dariapur seat in the city.

After submitting his resignation from the party post, the Congress general secretary, Ashok Patel, in a fax message to the national president, Sonia Gandhi, accused the State party leadership of adopting a "policy of favouritism'' by "freely distributing ticket among relatives.''

Mr. Gupta had played an important role in dethroning the Bharatiya Janata Party from the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation, which it controlled for 13 years. And the AICC observers, who were instrumental in ticket distribution, had worked hand-in-glove with the State leaders to "encourage favouritism," he alleged.

Indicating clearly that the Congress office-bearers would not work for the party candidates in the city, Mr. Patel said if Mr. Gupta had been denied ticket because he was holding an important office in the organisation, dozens of others who had been given ticket should be asked to quit the organisational posts they were holding.

The Gujarat Congress spokesman, Hasmukh Patel, however, said efforts were on to nip the "rebellion" in the bud and to prevail upon the party rank and file to rededicate themselves to the victory of the party candidates.

While the BJP today announced the resumption of the rath yatra by the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, from November 29, the Congress said Ms. Gandhi would address about a dozen election meetings in different constituencies in early December. Several other senior party leaders were expected to address election meetings in the State.

As for the BJP, a party spokesman said that the Deputy Prime Minister, L. K. Advani, 19 Central Ministers and national party office-bearers, including the party president, Venkaiah Naidu, would be visiting Gujarat on November 30 to address a series of election meetings. The programme of the Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, was being finalised.