Ujjain: Speculations were on rife that former Ujjain MP Premchand Guddu has been making all-out efforts for his re-entry in the Congress party. Looking to it, his opponents have also started lobbying hard at New Delhi to bar Guddu’s re-entry in the party.
Guddu along with his son Ajit Borasi, State Youth Congress general secretary, left the Congress soon before the Assembly Elections-2018 and joined the BJP. BJP had given Borasi ticket from Ghattia (SC reserve) seat, though he lost the election against former MLA and Congress candidate Ramlal Malviya. As Congress returned to power and the BJP did not tip Guddu from any parliamentary constituency, his political clout decreased simultaneously. In the recent past, Guddu tried to gain the patronage of former CM Digvijaya Singh and also reportedly tried to make rapport with the Congress high-command with the help of AICC general secretary Mukul Vasnik. Moreover, Guddu and his son also opposed CAA and NRC through social media. He also started hectic activities in Delhi during couple of days ago after the departure of BJP MLA Manohar Untwal from Agar (SC reserve) seat, where by-election is bound to held within next six months.
3 SC Congress MLAs of Ujjain Lok Sabha constituency are reported to be restlessness over Guddu’s proposed re-entry to the party fold. These MLAs even started a Delhi race to meet Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. It is learnt that 3 MLA along with 5 other party leaders met AICC general secretary and state in-charge Deepak Bawaria and Digvijaya Singh in Delhi on Wednesday and Thursday and expressed strong reservation on Guddu’s re-entry. Chief Minister and Pradesh Congress Committee president Kamal Nath is also being pressured not to take Guddu back, though his supporters in the district have kept mum over all such activities and have indirectly given green signals on his return. Meanwhile, sources believe that this time Guddu has got a clean chit from Sonia Gandhi and Kamal Nath, as well. They even say that if everything remains correct, Guddu will also be seen in the Congress soon.
DCC CHIEF GIVES GREEN SIGNAL
“Who has to be kept in the party and who does not is the sole right of the party high command and nobody’s objection matters. If Guddu advances the Congress and strengthens the party, we have no objection to his return. In the past, some people had rebelled and contested the assembly elections, who were also reinstated by the party and they worked for the party in the Lok Sabha elections. Similarly, if Guddu also comes back and do party work, so we have no problem. We will welcome him if Sonia Gandhi and Kamal Nath decide to give him reentry. Nothing will happen if the MLAs express displeasure on Guddu’s re-entry. If they want to work they should do so or else sit at home, but the party will continue to do the work.”—MAHESH SONI, CITY CONGRESS COMMITTEE PRESIDENT, TOLD MEDIA ON THURSDAY
SCINDIA SUPPORTERS KEEP WAIT & WATCH
“Guddu lacks good rapport with party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and latter’s supporters have always opposed his dominance in the party affairs since he became Ujjain MP. Even Kamal Nath himself does not prefer Guddu and so his local supporters but as Digvijaya Singh is strongly backing Guddu and Nath respects Digvijaya’s moves, the Nath supporters here are finding it now better to keep calm. Ironically, most of the local MLAs who are protesting Guudu’s re-entry belong to Nath camp. Similar is the case of Scindia supporters, who do not want to indulge in game of opposition in public domain. But, all in all, the party rank and file in the district does not want to give much weightage on Guddu’s issue. If party rebels Jai Singh Darbar and Maya Trivedi who fought the last assembly election from Ujjain South and Ujjain North, respectively, as rebels, can be given re-entry into Congress and the local party leaders can project them leaders on party fora and public functions and the district in-charge minister Sajjan Singh Verma can ferry them in his vehicle during government events, then why not Guddu can be taken back as he did not backstab the party,” a senior party leader on the condition of anonymity told Free Press.
