The thin presence of Congress leaders and workers during the dharna staged by leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Ajay Singh, at the residence of Chief Minister raised several questions within the party cadre.
Demanding dismissal of murder accused Minister lal Singh Arya, Ajay Singh staged dharna in Bhopal on Tuesday, but two legislators and handful of his followers registered their presence.
Interestingly, those Congressmen who often stage protests and demonstrations in the city and keep the grand old party alive on the State’s political scene were also missing from the dharna but amazingly those who are never seen in party programmes were present and active during the dharna.
Former MPCC Secretary Abdul Nafis considered a close confidant of former State spokesman of Congress Arif Masood of Suresh Pachori faction while talking to The Pioneer said, “Why should we participate in the programme of leader who never bothers to attend other Congress programmes of the city.”
On being told that it was also a Congress programme and Singh is loP Nafis replied, “I am also talking of Congress programmes organised in the city in that Ajay Singh and his team never participates.”
However, MPCC general secretary Mahendra Singh Chouhan a close associate of loP Ajay Singh said, “The programme was finalised hurriedly and there was not enough time to intimate outstation MlAs, leaders and workers.
State Congress president was out of the State and so were the other senior leaders.”
On being asked that a faction of your party is saying that it did not attend the dharna because your leader does not participate in others programme replied, “We are doing our work and would not miss any chance against the BJP Government, if anybody has any grudge with us should withhold that for now, because this is not the time to quarrel, it’s time to remain united complaints could be adhered later.”
MPCC chief spokesman KK Mishra said that the party stands united and that there is no difference among the big wigs of the State.
MPCC spokesman Pankaj Chaturvedi a confidant of former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia though seemed concerned over the happenings in the party and said, “Unity is must, without getting united we could not take on BJP in the next year Assembly elections.
leaders should at-least ask their supporters to attend the party programs at local level be they organised by any leader or faction.”