Bhopal: Congress state in charge Deepak Babaria may dash the expectations of Congress national president Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha elections. Gandhi has set a target of 20 seats for the state leaders in the Lok Sabha elections. In the light of annoyance amongst Congress leaders and party workers against Babaria, it seems difficult for the Congress to cross double-digit mark, as far as winning Lok Sabha seats is concerned.
Congress workers, who devoted their energies to win assembly polls, are not ready to work under the leadership of Babaria in Lok Sabha elections. Babaria’s behavior has led to severe resentment in party workers. Babaria’s statement that nobody could remove him till Lok Sabha elections has further added fuel to fire in terms of dissatisfaction in Congress workers.
Chief Minister Kamal Nath was instrumental in Congress winning assembly polls. It was because of Nath that the party workers, who were annoyed with Babaria, worked together for the party in the elections. The party workers, who worked together during assembly polls, are now not showing interest for Lok Sabha polls due to their distance from the party organization.
Babaria had disputes with former Congress state president Arun Yadav and former leader of opposition Ajay Singh during assembly polls. Yadav and Singh had expressed their displeasure over Babaria’s behavior but Kamal Nath and ex- CM Digvijaya Singh got both the leaders pacified.
Congress leaders are also annoyed over Babaria’s statement saying that those who lost assembly polls would not get ticket for Lok Sabha polls. Besides Singh and Yadav, leaders like Ramnivas Rawat, Mukesh Nayak and Sunderlal Tiwari are also claiming for Lok Sabha election ticket.
Controversies related to Babaria
Dispute with party workers in Rewa during assembly polls, Congress faced massive defeat in Vindhya region as Kamal Nath and Scindia both were projected as CM candidate. Removed office bearers during elections in Vidisha that led to defeat of the party on several seats- an issue recently raised by Vidisha MLA Shashank Bhargava Fueled resentment in Congress leaders by raising the issue of appointing Surendra Chaudhary as deputy CM.
Chaudhary had to face defeat in elections’ Landed Congress in the soup, by saying discipline should be learnt from RSS. Congress leaders showed annoyance on his statement of not giving ticket to leaders more than 60 years of age before assembly polls’ Got ticket seekers deposit demand draft of Rs 50,000 for assembly polls. Kamal Nath got the demand draft returned.
