Giving another twist to the entire ‘audio tape row’ on Antagarh bypoll fixing case, which has created a political storm in Chhattisgarh, the then Congress candidate for Antagarh bypoll in 2014 Manturam Pawar who later switched sides to the BJP camp on Tuesday claimed that in November 2015, two Congress leaders urged him for making a ‘comeback’ in Congress party.
“The two Congress leaders allegedly suggested me to become the part of developing an ‘audio tape’ carrying voice of former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, Amit Jogi, Chief Minister Raman Singh’s son-in-law Dr Pradeep Gupta and a few others,” he said in a Press conferenece held here on Tuesday.
While avoiding to disclose the names of the ‘two Congress leaders’, Pawar said he will soon reveal their identity.
Terming the audio tape as ‘doctored’, Pawar said that allegations levelled on him are baseless and he is ready to face any kind of investigation.
“Infighting within the Congress party prompted me to withdraw the nomination from the bypoll,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Pawar also alleged that at the time of Antagarh by-poll in 2014, the State Congress Chief Bhupesh Baghel directed him not to call senior leaders including former State Chief Minister Ajit Jogi, Charandas Mahant and Motilal Vora during campaign for the election.
“Baghel also did not let me meet AICC chief Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi as I wanted to apprise them about matters related to Antagarh by-poll,” he charged.
Pawar further said that due to internal skirmishes and factionalism in the Congress party, he was defeated earlier in an election.
“Recalling previous experience, I did not want to contest the Antagarh by-poll but the Congress party proposed my name. After filing nomination, I had appealed Baghel to sort out the issue of infighting within the party otherwise nomination will be withdrawn by me, but he hardly displayed any interest,” claimed Pawar.