18 November 2002
GUJARAT PARTIAL LIST OF
CONGRESS AMID FACTIONALISM
From Jal Khambata
NEW DELHI: Intention faction
fights among the Congress leaders of Gujarat came out in open on
Monday with the accusing finger raised against Pradesh Congress
Committee (PCC) chief cornering away majority of the 108 seats for
which candidates were announced within hours of the Election
Commission setting in motion the process for the Assembly
elections.
The Congress, however, broke its past tradition of
holding back the names until the last two, three days of nomination,
and were ahead of the rival BJP which began the exercise for
selecting own candidates only three hours later at a meeting in the
Prime Minister's house.
AICC General Secretary Kamal Nath,
incharge of Gujarat state at the party headquarters, was bombarded
with questions on factionalism by reporters who were approached by
various state leaders to complain that the seasoned leaders had been
ignored and Vaghela's candidates have been given preference on as
many as 60 seats.
The state leaders could be heard even
complaining that the Congress may lose the battle already won from
the misrule of the BJP because of inexperienced and "chamchas"
being given preference and the party interests were ignored to give
weightage to personal interests. In the Gujarat Bhawan, Gujarat Youth
Congress chief Bhavesh Lakhani was roughed up by angry aspirants and
supporters who were disappointed.
Among those making a beeline
to Congress President Sonia Gandhi to lodge protest at the selection
of candidates included former chief ministers Madhavsinh Solanki and
Amarsinh Chaudhary. Vaghela also had a separate meeting with
her.
Kamal Nath, who was flanked by Vaghela and CLP leader
Amarsinh Chaudhary at the Press conference at the AICC headquarters,
however, asserted that there was no partiality in giving ticket nor
any factionalism. "In politics, it is natural that some get more
and some get less seats," he sought to explain.
He
pointed out that the party had drawn up the list of candidates not on
the basis of the weight carried by each senior state leader but
through a process specially chosen to ensure that the "winning
candidates" are chosen.
The AICC General Secretary
disclosed that the party had sent out coordinators and observers to
all the districts to assess the winnability of candidates and had
given them marks on the scale of 10. The names so shortlisted were
minutely examined before finalising the list.
Vaghela chipped
in to point out that the Congress had been able to take a lead in
announcing its candidates before the BJP even discusses the list only
because of "200 days of spadework" done by the party
observers in the districts to pick up the best candidates.
Asked
how many candidates of Vaghela or those belonging to his erstwhile
Rashtriya Janata Party got the ticket, Kamal Nath shot back that "we
did not consider that as basis of selection." Vaghela chipped in
that all 182 candidates to be fielded by the Congress "belong to
my party," meaning Congress.
While releasing the first
"Partial List" of 108 candidates, Kamal Nath said most of
the other names have also been finalised but they would be released
in a strategic manner. Still the Congress has not declared names for
all seats and hence its doors were open for seat adjustment with
other likeminded parties, he said.
Among those getting the
ticket is Kaira MP Dinsha Patel, 47 MLAs of the dissolved House and
seven women. Former Chief Minister and CLP leader Amarsinh Chaudhary
is seeking re-election from Khedbrahma constituency and hence there
are now only remote chances that his son also gets the ticket.
Kamal
Nath, in fact, emphasized that no son of any senior leader has been
given the ticket in the first list while sons of Madhavsinh and
former Union Minister Urmila patel, Bharat from Borsad and Siddharth
from Dabhoi, who had been given ticket were already members of the
dissolved Assembly. Kamal Nath, however, wriggled out when asked
pointedly whether any more names of the sons are ruled out.
The
general complaint heard from the frustrated ticket aspirants and
their senior leaders was that the leadership has preferred younger
generation over experienced hands. There were also complaints that
Patels and Thakurs have been given preference in selection of
candidates but Kamal Nath stoutly denied such bias and pointed out
that only the "winnability" was the criteria.
Prominent
among those figuring in the first list include former chief minister
Dilip Parikh of Vaghela group from Dhandhuka, former minister Narhari
Amin, Navin Chandra Ravani and Manoharsinh Jadeja from Rajkot-I. Mrs
Kashmira Bakul Nathwani is the party's candidate from Rajkot-II which
had returned Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the byelection. The
Rajkot rural seat has gone to Mrs Shantaben Chavda.
Shaktisinh
Gohi has been given the Bavnagar South seat while former MP
Chittubhai Gamit is contesting from Mahuva ST constituency.
Chatursinh Chavda is the Congress candidate from Gandhinagar while
Mehsana seat has gone to Jivabhai Patel.
Chandrakant
Srivastava is the Congerss candidate for Baroda city while other
candidates in the city are: Dalsukhbhai Prajapati from Sayajiganj and
Rameshbhai patel from Raopura. Pravinbhai Patel s contesting from
Vaghodia. Godhra is among the constituencies where no candidates are
announced yet.
Meanwhile, Kamal Nath and Vaghela said the
Congress would be contesting elections in Gujarat with he slogan of
"shanti, sukh, samraddhi aur salamati" (peace, prosperity,
happiness and security).
Employment dole of Rs 2000 per month
to some three to five lakh educated unemployed youths, drinking water
and better electric supply -- round the clock electricity to single
phase consumers, guaranteed minimum 12-hour supply to farmers and
better power position for industries are the poll promises the
Congress is giving, Vaghela said.
Kamal Nath and Amarsinh
Chaudary pointed out that the BJP had nothing to show about its five
years of misrule and hence it is trying to divert attention of people
to the communal issues. They said the BJP never bothered to pay
attention to the basic needs, be it electricity or water, and also
did not bother to take care of youths and farmers. END