With complaints of large scale irregularities made in selection of candidates for Parliament elections through `Primary’, the pilot project of Congress yuvraj Rahul Gandhi, pouring in from other States also, the selection process for two seats in Uttar Pradesh completed on Monday amidst high controversy. In Ambedkarnagar, the selection of candidate has been made even when he reportedly concealed criminal case pending against him, which pointed that the Party is even giving way to nominees who had hide their criminal past. It also showed Rahul’s promise of giving priority to just outstanding and honest candidates this time is a mere an eye-wash.
Surprisingly, for raising voice against the fake voters list and for adopting dubious means to get a leader allegedly close to state president, Nirmal Khatri, elected, two of the Congress leaders were expelled from the Party for six years. Kalpana Verma, who was secretary of Youth Congress (Ambedkarnagar Parliamentary Constituency) and VP Gautam, general secretary of District Congress Committee in Ambedkarnagar, both were shown the door for trying to expose the irregularities made during elections. Kalpana, who sat on dharna demanding scrutiny in voters list was so depressed with the dubious means adopted by senior leaders close to UPCC chief that she went to self-immolate herself at local district magistrates office where she was reportedly held.
Interestingly, how the entire show was `managed’ by the top Congress leader was evident from the fact that chairman of the Media Cell of UPCC, Satyadev Tripathi, when asked that why Onkar Singh, whom Khatri claimed to be incharge of selection process in Sant Kabir Nagar and
also in Amebadkarnagar was called back on eve of voting for the Sant Kabur Nagar seat, he replied that Onkar Singh was just assigned to complete the initial exercise i.e to prepare voter list and made scrutiny of candidates and the voting as well as counting on the last day will be held just in presence of Central observer and no one from UPCC will be present. However, on Monday after voting at Ambedkarnagar, Satyadev, himself contradicted his earlier statement and said that voting was done in presence of Onkar Singh as well as AICC secretary, Zubair Khan. It
may be mentioned here that union minister for Steel, Beni Prasad Verma already alleged that Rahul Gandhi’s move of giving tickets in 15 Parliament seats including two in UP through voting is more of a `auction’ then a democratic exercise. In Madhya Pradesh also, similarly llegations were made by candidates who even quit at last movement against the large scale irregularities in voters list.Giving details of voting held in Ambedkarnagar, here on
Monday evening, Satyadev said that a out of total 355 voters, only 247 had used their rights out of which only 240 voters were found to be valid. He claimed that out of two remaining candidates in fray, Ashok Singh scored 151 votes while Krishna Kumar Yadav secured emaining 89 votes. He said that the result will be send to AICC office for final decision on announcement of the candidates.It may be mentioned that `The Pioneer’ already published in it’s Feburary 27 late city edition that how the election process held in Ambedkarnagar, amidst high controversy.
The nominations of two candidates have been cancelled as they not had support of required ten members while two more candidates, who both were close to UPCC chief had clashed with each other. Sources said that Ashok Singh (who won the election), who is said be close lieutenant of
Nirmal Khatri, had accused one another candidate Daya Shankar Mishra, a Mumbai based businessman that he was never in the Congress. Mishra too reacted promptly, alleging that Ashok Singh concealed the information that he is facing trial in two attempt to murder cases. On confrontation between the two, the central observer sent both cases to incharge of the entire process in AICC.
Sources said that even when the AICC found that Ashok Singh had concealed information, it cleared his nomination but had cancelled the papers of Mishra, leaving just two persons in the fray.