Rahul ‘eats’ own words, gives tickets to turncoats

NEW DELHI: When it comes at keeping the ‘promise' of not fielding “parachute leaders” in elections, the Congress is no different from its rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) as it has given tickets to over halfa-dozen turncoats to try their luck in the Rajasthan assembly elections.

Besides, giving special treatment to “parachute leaders”, the grand-old-party, which declared the first list of 152 candidates on late Thursday night, has also fielded relatives of about 15 party leaders.

The first list included names of party's state president Sachin Pilot, who has been fielded from Tonk assembly seat, former state chief minister Ashok Gehlot from Sardarpura (Jodhpur), former union minister CP Joshi from Nathdwara, Girija Vyas from Udaipur and leader of opposition Rameshwar Dudi from Nokha (Bikaner) seats.

Coming back to giving tickets to turncoats, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has always been assuring that he wouldn't allow leaders from other parties to contest on Congress ticket in assembly elections.

During election rallies, Gandhi had said, “All leaders switching their sides are welcome in Congress, but I must make it clear that the party wouldn't field them in the assembly election. They (turncoats) would have to work for the party for five to six years and then only they would be considered for tickets.”

It appears that the Congress president thought it wise to ‘swallow' his own words while finalising the first list of tickets for Rajasthan assembly poll as about six “parachute leaders” have been fielded to win seats for the party.

The turncoats who managed to get Congress tickets just after a few hours or days include Kanhaiya Lal Jhanwar, Harish Meena, Habibir-rehman, IPS officer Sawai Singh Godara, Raj Kumar Sharma and Sona Devi Bawri.

Jhanwar, who had joined Congress about five hours before the party's list was released, has been fielded from Bikaner East, BJP MP from Dausa Harish Meena, who had quit the party a day ago, has been fielded from Deoli-uniara on Congress ticket.

Similarly, BJP MLA from Nagaur Habib-ur-rehman had also quit the BJP a day ago and has been fielded by Congress from Nagaur seat itself. Also, IPS officer Sawai Singh Godara has been fielded from Khinwsar just a few days after Godara took VRS.

Sharma, who has been fielded from his current seat of Nawalgarh, is an independent, while Bawri, who will contest from Raisingh Nagar, had won the 2013 assembly election on Zamindar Party ticket.