Congress leaders kept puzzling throughout Thursday when one of their leader quit the Party midway to polls in Gautambudhnagar (Noida), while news of some other leaders also following the same line turned out to rumour till the evening. However, the Party is still not sure mood of their candidates, as just on Wednesday night, their candidate dumped the media news of his joining BJP as a deep-rooted `conspiracy’.
Interestingly, Congress also had to issue a clarification regarding an application in which party Vice President Rahul Gandhi was alleged to have applied for a domicile certificate in Amethi which has been turned down. After some electronic channel flashed news that Rahul was denied a domicile certificate on Thursday, Chandrakant Dubey, Gandhi's local representative in Amethi, clarified that the Congress leader had not applied for any such certificate. The denial came after a purported application of Gandhi was rejected by the district administration.
"The application, if any is fake. Gandhi has not applied for the same. Even it is not in his knowledge," Dubey told media persons on Thursday. District Magistrate of Amethi, Jagatraj Tripathi earlier claimed that the "application was made by one Rajendra Singh which is against law."Singh is Congress' Amethi’s spokesman. Dubey said that there were a number of Congress workers in Amethi and Gandhi should not be held responsible for their deeds. Earlier the local administration has cancelled application of
local MP for issuance of a domicile certificate. "The application should have been made by Gandhi himself with his signature, which was not there. The papers needed with the application were also notthere", disclosed DM. "If Gandhi has to apply, he should apply himself in person or send application signed by him with all the essential documents", he added. It may be mentioned that bank account of all the candidates are to be opened on directions of EC and for this domicile certificate is needed, the officer said. Sources said that Congress Amethi spokesman Rajendra Singh had applied for the certificate showing Munshiganj Guest house as temporary address of Gandhi and the administration had cancelled the application terming it against rules and regulations.
Meanwhile in another development, soon after news of Congress candidate from Gautambudhnagar lok Sabha, Ramesh Chandra Tomar, leaving the Party and joining BJP turned out to be true on Thursday morning, another news flashed after some media persons received a mail in which another Congress candidate from Etawah, Hansmukh
Shankhwar, claimed to have leave the Party also to joing BJP. The letter of the candidate also included a BJP member receipt of Hanshmukh Shankhwar issued on March 2, 2014. However, the Party took a heive of relief when the Congress candidate vehemently denied the letter and blamed her opponents and also leaders within the party of hatching conspiracy against her.''I will file a FIR against the conspirators. Nor I have written any letter nor ever refused to contest the elections,'' she told media persons over telephone. UP Congress media committee chairman Satyadeo Tripathi alleged that a well planned conspiracy has been hatched by some political opponents to damage the prospect of their Party candidates. There is also news of another candidate, a turncoat whose name has been recently announced after cancelling another nominee’s name is also reportedly planning to quit Congress and join another Party.
It may be mentioned here that Ramesh Chandra Tomar, also issued deniel of leaving Congress on Wednesday evening and termed the news as a `conspiracy’. However, just on Thursday morning, he made his joining to BJP official. Congress now could not do anything as last date of filing nomination has already ended. In another setback to Congress also on Thursday, Independent MlA Ruby Prasad representing Dudhi assembly segement in Sonebhadra has withdrawn her support from the Congress.
She now forwarded her support to ruling Samajwadi Party in the State.