FEUDING FACTIONS WORRY CONGRESS IN RAJASTHAN

Disgruntled supporters of leaders who could not secure party nomination, agitated outside the Tughlak Lane residence of Rahul Gandhi.

If protests by those who have been denied the party ticket are an indication, the Congress appears to be on the road to victory in Rajasthan’s Assembly elections. During the past four years after witnessing a string of defeats in successive state elections, with the sole exception of Punjab, the Congress office on Akbar Road is suddenly observing heightened activity involving ticket aspirants and their followers.

On Saturday morning, the situation became tense when disgruntled supporters of leaders who could not secure party nomination, agitated outside the Tughlak Lane residence of Rahul Gandhi. The protestors surrounded the vehicle carrying Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee chief, Sachin Pilot, demanding a fair distribution of tickets. Pilot beat a hasty retreat, yet managed to go inside after security personnel escorted him.

The Congress president was not in the city since he was campaigning in Chhattisgarh but senior leaders including Pilot, Ashok Gehlot and Kumari Selja had gathered at his house to clear the second list for Rajasthan that goes to the polls on 7 December. The party has chosen Manvendra Singh, son of former Union Minister Jaswant Singh to take on Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje from Jhalrapatan.

Similar demonstrations had erupted on Thursday night after the Congress had declared the names of 152 candidates for the 200-member Assembly. On Saturday, another 32 names were announced. Armed guards of the Central Reserve Police Force have been deployed at Tughlak Lane to deal with any law and order situation.

The distribution of tickets for Rajasthan has not been easy and four secretaries of the party were removed last week, when they allegedly recommended a single name, instead of a panel of names in some Assembly segments to the Central Election Commit-