Union Minister for Steel, Beni Prasad Verma dumped Rahul’s master-stroke of selecting candidates in 15 lok Sabha constituencies as nothing but an 'auction' of tickets. He also attacked the Party high command for the first time claiming that his `potential’ has been not fully utilised. ''With due respect to party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, I don't agree with the experiment being done to select candidates through voting in 15 Parliament sear including Sant Kabir Nagar and Ambedkarnagar lok Sabha seats in UP. This is merely an auction by the party as several Samajwadi Party workers have become the voters of the Congress to derail the process in UP,''alleged Congress
Working Committee(CWC)member, Beni Prasad Verma. Addressing a press conference here on Monday evening, the CWC member peeved over the ignorance of the leadership in the organization. ''The party is not using my capability and potential in the lok Sabha elections,''alleged Beni while showing his unhappiness with the working of the senior leaders. ``Presently it is a good opportunity for the Congress after two decades to get the Muslim votes in UP. But unfortunately none in the Congress are thinking on the line as Congress is the only option for the Muslims against Narendra Modi,'' he claimed. Beni said that election to select candidates in two UP seats would be a failure as merely the candidate spending more money would get the highest vote and in the lok Sabha polls they would be licking the dust. It may be mentioned that selecting party candidates through democratic process in 15 lok Sabha seats in the country is the brain child of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
Beni Prasad also hinted that former SP leader Amar Singh would not be taken in Congress though Jaya Prada could get the party's lok Sabha ticket. Indirectly he also attacked the UP Congress Committee saying that the weak party organisation in the state should be attributed to them. To a poser whether he would join the padyatra of Rahul Gandhi at Barabanki on February 28, the Union minister hinted that there is no need for him to be present there as he was not a local MP.
Beni further alleged that Narendra Modi, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Arvind Kejriwal were habitual lairs and they always tell lies for their political interest. ''The rallies of Modi, Mulayam and Kejriwal on the same day on March 2 next in UP is a proof that they are all hand in gloves against the Congress and the minority community,'' he claimed. The CWC member said that Kejriwal had said that nor he will support anyone, nor will take the support to form the government in Delhi. Then why he became the CM. This act proves his opportunistic mindset.
''Mulayam and Modi are holding rallies on the same day in UP just to show that they are in contest against each other in the state to confuse the minorities,'' he said. The Union minister, however, thanked the students and teachers of the Aligarh Muslim University(AMU)for not allowing Mulayam Singh Yadav to visit Aligarh.''This act of the AMU is certainly a big incident as Mulla Mulayam for the first time had to experience such opposition by the minorities,'' he said.
Claiming that Muslims have started showing inclination towards the Congress, he said the principal of Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulema want to meet him.'' The phone call by the principal on Sunday shows that they want the Congress to fight against Modi,'' he said. The Union Steel minister also asked the people not to be misguided by the survey reports of the TV news channels.'' When the prominent political parties have not announced their candidates so far, how can anyone guess who will be the winner,'' he questioned.