Even as Congress members in Nainital dissented against party leadership for fielding Sachin Negi for the post of municipal council chairman, the Mahila Congress State president Sarita Arya expressed disappointment at recommended women contenders not being chosen by the Pradesh Congress Committee president for candidature. Stating that various women leaders had resigned from the party and were contesting as independents, she told media persons that she would talk to the Mahila Congress national president regarding the apathetic treatment of women contenders in the urban local body polls.
Talking to media persons, Arya said that the Mahila Congress state unit had recommended the names of some women contenders for candidature in the local body polls but these were not selected. “As a result, Geeta Rawal who was the Congress’ sitting chairperson of the municipal council in Bageshwar, Ranjana Rawat from Kotdwar and Kiran Singh from Haridwar have resigned and are contesting as independents. I would ask the Mahila Congress national president about our purpose if the Mahila Congress is to be sidelined,” she said.
Meanwhile, the party’s city head Maruti Nandan Sah and other office bearers resigned from their posts against selection of Sachin Negi as party candidate for election to the post of Nainital municipal council chairman. Sah alleged that the party’s leadership had ignored the ground workers of the party while finalising candidates. Other local party leaders also complained that the Congress organisation had ignored the local party workers.