Tug of war started between Congress leaders with the reports that the Party high command is all set to take a final decision on some major seats of Uttar Pradesh. The list of about 150 candidates for Parliament is likely to be announced within a fortnight before the Election Commission would announce the schedule for polls.
Sources said that Raj Babbar, who steal the lime light in the Party after he defeated chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s wife during bi-elections from Ferojabad Parliament constituency is finding it very tough to retain the seat. He appraised his mood to shift to some other constituency and the Bollywood actor is likely to be now fielded from
lucknow Parliament seat, on which rumours mills are high that Gujrat chief minister and Bharatiya Janta Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi would also be in the contest. Former state president, Dr Rita Bahuguna Joshi, who was runners-up in the last Parliament elections from lucknow, and is now also a sitting MlA from lucknow
Cantt seat, is also trying it hard to get ticket from lucknow but sources said that in case high command will give ticket to Raj Babbar, then Rita is likely to be fielded from Allahabad Parliament seat.
Former Indian cricket team captain, Mohamed Azharuddin, had also reportedly made it clear that he would not contest from Moradabad, which he won last time. This time he wanted ticket from some other state which included his home state and West Bengal. Sources said that the Party is likely to field Begum Noor Banu from Morababad this time instead of Rampur. Sources said that talks are already on and Congress would likely field sitting MP from Rampur, Jaya Prada, who would soon join the Party.
Union Minister of Steel, Beni Prasad Verma, who made it clear that he will again contest from Gonda Parliament seat. Though he announced also to contest from Kaiserganj and later also advocated to field his son Rakesh Verma, but now sources said that he would field his close lieutenant Dr Masood from Kaiserganj. Former MP Rizwan Zaheer, though not in the Congress is also reportedly trying seat from Shrawasti, which has been last time won by Congress leader Binnu Pandey.
Kamal `Commando’, party MP from Bahraich, is also not feeling it safe this time from the same seat and he is making all efforts to fight from Bansgaon reserve seat. Congress would also field new candidate from Sultanpur Parliament seat as sitting MP Sanjay Singh, has been sent to Upper House from Assam. Sources also said that Congress might field a dummy from Sultanpur as another Gandhi scion, Varun Gandhi, is likely to contest from there on BJP ticket. Another Congress MP from Bareilly, Praveed Aron is also giving second thought on contesting the elections from same seat. The other sitting MPs of Congress like Pl Puniya, Jitin Prasad, Shree Prakash
Jaiswal, Pradeep Jain Aditya, Salman Khursheed, RPN Singh, Ratna Singh, Raja Ram Pal, etc all are already busy nursing their constituency as they would re-contest the elections from same seat.
Sources also maintained that Congress MP from Faizabad, Nirmal Khatri is too giving a second thought on contesting the elections this time as he is reportedly finding it tough to justify his role as state president. Sources said that many leaders of Congress are also demanding to keep Khatri away from contesting polls so he could give full time in strengthening the organization through out the state and in case, he had to be fields than some acting president should be appointed till the elections will be over.