Kolkata
Leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury feels a section of young "overambitious" leaders is becoming increasingly restless and deserting the party due to the growing perception that it is not going to return to power at the Centre anytime soon.
Conceding their exit might adversely impact the party "temporarily", the veteran Congress MP, however, said party "discipline and ideology can't be compromised to satisfy the individual aspirations of leaders who lack ideological commitment.
The Congress has been reeling from the high-profile desertion of Jyotiraditya Scindia and rebellion by Sachin Pilot. "There is a certain section of overambitious young leaders.....they are becoming restless and feeling they are not getting their due in the party and are looking for other options to satisfy their individual ambitions.
"This is happening due to a growing perception that as the Congress wont return to power (at the Centre) shortly, so the party wont be able to satisfy all their demands. So they are either jumping the ship or are planning to do so, Chowdhury said.
Talking about Scindia and Pilot, he said they were never neglected or given short shrift by the party.
Chowdhury rejected the claim Jyotiraditya Scindia won Madhya Pradesh for the Congress as its campaign committee chief for the assembly polls. If that were the case, he would not have lost his Lok Sabha seat, the veteran Congress leader said.
BJP MLA moves court over BSP MLAs’ merger with Cong
A BJP MLA on Friday filed a petition in the Rajasthan HC for quashing the merger of 6 BSP MLAs with the Congress, a move months back which helped the ruling party to retain majority in the assembly. The plea by Madan Dilawar also challenges the "inaction" of the Speaker in not deciding on his plea seeking the disqualification of the Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs from the assembly. It will be heard by a single-judge bench of HC on Monday.
Sack Shekhawat, Cong demands again
The Congress on Friday again demanded the removal of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat from the Cabinet, this time for a probe by a Rajasthan court into his alleged role in the Sanjivani Credit Co-op Society scam.
Meanwhile, a report by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence has charged Agrasain Gehlot, elder brother of CM Gehlot, of “knowingly” becoming part of a “smuggling syndicate” by supplying it subsidised Muriate of Potash (MOP).
Congress leader Ahmed Patel |
Manipur Assembly convened, why not Rajasthan’s: Patel
NEW DELHI: Senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel tweeted on Friday the BJP government in Manipur manages to convene its Assembly, but the Congress govt in Rajasthan cannot. “Selective application of the Constitution is now rule of law,” he remarked, pointing out Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla's order summoning the House from August 10.
On the Rajasthan development, he asked in another tweet: “Very curious to know if the BJP President goes incommunicado with 30 MPs, is actively collaborating with the Congress party and lodging himself in a Congress-ruled state under police protection, will it be mere dissent or defiance that merits disqalification?” He was referring to ex-Raj Cong chief Sachin Pilot going incommunicado with 18 MLAs and collaborating with BJP, lodging himself in the BJP-ruled Haryana. —Our Bureau
