As members of Delhi Pradesh Election Committee of the Congress could not reach a consensus on the re-nomination of 10 sitting MlAs for the upcoming Assembly elections on Friday, the finalisation of probables for other constituencies has been delayed further.
The Election Committee (EC) set up to choose winnable candidates met for the third time on Friday. Sources in Delhi Congress said the meeting proved to be stormy as Committee members were engrossed in debating allotting party tickets to those candidates, including the sitting legislatures with criminal background. Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi’s open and blunt dismissal of the Bill to save the convicted Parliamentarians was cited as the driving force.
Insiders say that Chief Minister (CM) Sheila Dikshit was in favour of giving tickets to all sitting MlAs but Parvez Hashmi is reported to have opposed saying Asif Mohammad and Dayanand Chandela have criminal cases against them while Ram Singh Netaji had contested against the Congress candidate in the last election. It may be noted that Asif Mohammad and Ram Singh Netaji have recently joined the Congress after they were reportedly given assurance of Congress nomination for Assembly polls. Rajya Sabha MP Parvez Hashmi has applied from Okhla seat while Asif is also seeking ticket from the same constituency.
Sources said Hashmi was upset that he was being sidelined by Asif Mohammad Khan, who has a dubious past and even had a case of sedition registered against him. Though he was acquitted later, he had to cool his heels in Tihar for many months.
Ram Singh Netaji is seeking a ticket from Badarpur. Finally it was decided that those with pending cases should be kept on the waiting list but members such as RK Dhawan, Jitender Kochar, Manish Chatrath, Tajdar Babar and Krishna Tirath have also expressed reservations against sitting MlAs Jaswant Rana (Narela), Devender Yadav (Badli), Mangat Ram Singhal (Adarsh Nagar), Prof Kiran Walia (Malviya Nagar), Ramakant Goswami (Rajender Nagar) and Tarwinder Singh Marwah (Jangpura).
Interestingly, Marwah is a three-term MlA and his margin of victory has increased in every Assembly poll. According to sources, Krishna Tirath has expressed reservations against Jaswant Rana and Devender Yadav due to criminal cases against them while Manish Chatrath has opposed Ramakant Goswami’s name from Rajender Nagar seat as he wants his name to be added in the panel of three for the same seat. Chatrath has reportedly stated that Goswami’s name was not recommended by block and district presidents so his (Chatrath) name should also be included.
Meanwhile, Tajdar Babar has also opposed Marwah’s name from Jangpura constituency as her son and former Mayor, Farhad Suri, is seeking ticket from that constituency. Kochar has opposed the name of Prof Kiran Walia from Malviya Nagar seat. Kochar is seeking ticket for himself from Malviya Nagar in place of Walia. Dhawan has reportedly opposed Mangat Ram Singhal from Adarsh Nagar. It would be pertinent to mention that all the members are camp followers of Dikshit.
After the meeting, a Committee member reacted saying members are seeking tickets either for themselves or for their next of kin. Those demanding tickets for themselves and their relatives can never be impartial. Hence, the very purpose behind this jumbo-sized election panel has been defeated. It was also decided at the Friday meeting that members should submit their opposition to a particular candidate in writing and with proof as well.