Unrest in Rajasthan Cong over choice of RS candidate
Already struggling with the recent shock exit of senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Congress is now facing criticism from its ranks in Rajasthan for nominating a Rajya Sabha election candidate who has lost state assembly polls three times in the past.
A party legislator has raised a banner of revolt after the Congress nominated Neeraj Dangi, a Dalit leader considered close to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, as one of the two Rajya Sabha candidates from the state. The second Congress candidate from Rajasthan is party general secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal, who hails from Kerala.
“The MLAs in the assembly were discussing if he (Dangi) is the only Scheduled Caste candidate in the party. He lost three elections, still the party named him,” said Ved Prakash Solanki, a legislator from Chaksu in Jaipur.
Dangi (50) has lost assembly polls once from Desuri and twice from Reodar. Though he is the party’s general secretary, party insiders have raised questions over why a better candidate could not have been picked for the Rajya Sabha polls.
Dangi’s candidature appears to have opened a new front in the already faction-ridden Rajasthan Congress. “What were the criteria for nominating him? He had lost the assembly polls thrice and even the local bodies’ elections. His father was a legislator. What is the message we are trying to send to our cadre by naming him? Do you have to be close to a powerful person in the Congress to get a ticket or a post?” a senior Rajasthan Congress functionary said on condition of anonymity.
Dangi has previously held the post of the president of the state Youth Congress and his father, Dinesh Rai Dangi, was a Congress legislator from Desuri in Pali for several terms. A functionary argued that his contribution has been limited and he has been given a ticket just because of his proximity to Gehlot.
Dangi was the second choice of Gehlot, who earlier pitched for another close aide and jeweller Rajiv Arora. The Congress leadership turned down his request, insisting that a party cadre should be given the ticket, the functionary said.
The last date for filing nominations for the Rajya Sabha was March 13 and the last date for withdrawal of candidature is March 18. Voting will be held on March 26.
DALIT LEADER NEERAJ
DANGI HAS LOST THREE ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS; ONCE FROM DESURI AND TWICE FROM REODAR. INSIDERS ASK WHY ANOTHER CANDIDATE COULDN’T BE PICKED