Congress candidate from lucknow, Reeta Bahuguna Joshi, received yet another setback just before the campaigning ended on Monday evening after chairman of the Minority Cell of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee, Tariq Siddiqui, deserted her to join Samajwadi Party.
Though Siddiqui cited the reason of quitting the Party for being roughed up by the incharge of the Minority Affairs of UPCC, Maroof Khan, but `The Pioneer’ already published it it’s late city edition on April 22, that Siddiqui is looking for a greener pasture hence he was making efforts to brought UPCC office under controversy before joining the Samajwadi Party. Interestingly, after the news of his plan to quit Congress has been published, Siddiqui on the next day not only actively took part in campaigning with Reeta Bahuguna but also denied the media reports that he had any plan to say good-bye to Congress.
However, finally, as per the plan, Siddiqui appeared at the dais of Samajwadi Party and declared his joining the Party in presence of chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, on Monday. Siddiqui, claimed that he was upset with the happening at UPCC office after being thrashed by one of his senior colleague so he resigned from all the Party posts from Congress and decided to join SP. Interestingly, Congress claimed that Siddiqui has been already served notice for his anti-party activities particularly over his alleged role of working against Party candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi, but instead of replying, he quit the Party on Monday. UPCC’s minority affairs incharge, Maroof Khan, while reacting on resignation, said that Siddiqui was engaged in such anti-party activities now for a long time and his exit from Party would do no harm but instead strengthen the Party further as these black-sheep do more harm than helping the Party from within.
It may be mentioned that apprehensions were already made that after exit of City Congress president, Neeraj Bora, who forwarded his support to Bhartiya Janta Party’s candidate Rajnath Singh, Congress candidate from lucknow Parliamentary constituency, Reeta Bahuguna Joshi, would received another setback in the coming days as one of the minorities leader (Tariq Siddiqui)is all set to change the side in search of greener pasture. Speculations are also made that he would join the Samajwadi Party brigade supporting Party’s candidate Abhisekh Mishra.
Sources is the Congress confirmed last week that just on the lines of Neeraj Bora, who ditched the Party even when Congress high-command gave him due recognition soon after he joined the Party not only by giving him ticket for Assembly elections in 2012, and for Mayor elections but later also made him City Congress president, Siddiqui also reportedly played his cards well within the Congress to see a sharp rise within a short span of time, is now ready to quit Congress.
However, what surprised the Congress bosses is that just like Neeraj Bora, who was given due recognition by Reeta Bahuguna Joshi, when she was state president of Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee and even later-on, Siddiqui is also seen as a blue-eyed boy of Congress candidate from lucknow lok Sabha seat but he too wanted to leave Rita Bahuguna mid-way. Interestingly, in many of the debates in which Rita was invited, she sent Siddiqui as her `representative’.
Sources further confirmed that to bring Congress state head-quarter under controversy, this minority leader allegedly violated all protocol and first shot off a leader to one of his senior colleague and when objected, he clashed with his senior inside the Party’s office at Mall Avenue about ten days back. Surprisingly, when senior Congressmen at state head quarter, were trying to resolve the issue to avoid any controversy when elections in lucknow are just round the corner, Siddiqui reportedly over-looked and sources said that he met chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on April 20. Though Siddiqui communicated that his meeting was just a courtesy call and has been fixed ten days in advance but sources already said that it was a senior SP leader close to Akhilesh Yadav, who fixed the meeting, probably to lure the Congress leader to join Samajwadi Party and support Abhisekh Mishra if he wanted to have a much greener pasture. However, what transpired between the two leaders, now comes to fore after Siddiqui joined SP.