The turmoil in the Chhattisgarh unit of the Congress seems to be getting harder to resolve.
After the high drama over choice of candidates for the Raipur lok Sabha seat, the party has now confronted resentment among ticket claimants and their supporters, particularly in Raipur, Bilaspur and Mahsamund lok Sabha seats.Former MlA from Akaltara Dr Saurabh Singh and Chairman of Backward Class Cell Motilal Sahu have resigned from the primary membership of the party.
Motilal Sahu and his supporters had also staged a tumultuous protest at the Congress Bhawan against Ajit Jogi being given the ticket from Mahasamund. Both the leaders and their supporters have opposed the candidature of Karuna Shukla from Bilaspur and Ajit Jogi from Mahasamund seats.
Dr Saurabh Singh had been the BSP MlA . After the Assembly polls, he joined the Congress party. He has been ticket claimant from Akaltara seat, but was not made a candidate in the Assembly polls. later, he had been demanding ticket from Bilaspur lok Sabha seat, but the party has made Karuna Shukla candidate from there. He said that making Karuna Shukla, the candidate from Bilaspur was like adding insult to injury of the party workers.
Dr Singh said that now he is in Indore and after returning, would take further action after consultation with his supporters. On the other hand, Chairman of the Congress Backward Class Cell Motilal Sahu, after holding a meeting at his residence here, sent the letter resigning from the primary membership of the party.
Sahu had fought the last lok Sabha election from Mahasamund seat, but was defeated. This time also, he has been claiming ticket, but the Congress made former chief minister Ajit Jogi candidate from Mahasamund. Sahu was one who had suffered injuries in the Maoist attack on the Congress convoy at Jeeram valley in Bastar on May 25 last year.
Supporters of Sahu said that he has been dedicated, but the party has given ticket to the person who had announced political retirement. leaders came from other parties have been given ticket.He said he was injured in the Maoist attack on the Congress convoy in Jeeram valley, but the party did not give ticket to any of the injured in the incident. Along with Sahu, about 200 workers gave their resignation from the primary membership of the party.
The party workers shouted slogans at the Congress Bhavan against the party's State President Bhupesh Baghel. In absence of the president, they submitted resignation to the In-charge Secretary Shivsingh Thakur. In the resignation letter, Sahu alleged that leaders, who had been close to late Nandkumar Patel, were being insulted to take revenge.
Motilal Sahu said that various kinds of plans were being made for the selection of candidates in the party, but they have not been implemented.After being active in the constituency for the last five years and besides demand of workers and leaders, he has not been given ticket from Mahasamund seat. “It is beyond understanding that the party did not give ticket, for which I have suffered bullet injuries and shed blood. It is gross insult of the party workers.” He said that the Congress needs no Opposition party, but it would end on its own.