The infighting in Uttar Pradesh Congress came to the fore when Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma on Tuesday alleged that a section of the Congress leaders were hand in glove with the Samajwadi Party leadership during the 2012 Assembly elections to ensure the defeat of the party. They not only diverted Congress funds, but also distributed tickets to unworthy candidates at the SP leadership’s behest.
“I have brought this serious matter to the notice of Congress high command, which would ensure that the same conspiracy is not hatched in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections,” said Beni, at a press conference here.
Beni said a deep-rooted conspiracy was hatched by some top Congress leaders and their SP counterparts to ensure defeat of the Congress candidates in Raebareli, Amethi and Gonda constituency. “I have definite and first-hand information that the party funds were diverted to the SP candidates. The Congress leaders who were on the SP payroll and had made huge financial gains during the previous SP regime, fielded such candidates who were totally unworthy.... I can say with definite information that it was this conspiracy of my own men that put the Congress in a ridiculous situation of winning less than three dozen seats, while even Independents won more seats than us,” Beni said. He refused to name the “conspirators” in the Congress.