NEW DELHI/MUMBAI : The Congress was left to contend with two major rebellions on Thursday as former Haryana PCC chief Ashok Tanwar staged a protest outside the party headquarters in Delhi while senior leader Sanjay Nirupam announced not to campaign in Maharashtra. With barely weeks to go for the polls, Tanwar upped the ante and resigned from all election committees of the party. In Mumbai, Nirupam said the party did not need his services anymore and the day is not far when he quits the Congress. This was after the party rejected his plea for nominating at least one minority candidate from each district in Maharashtra.
Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Tanwar alleged that the party in Haryana had turned into ‘Hooda Congress’ as those who had strived against the party’s interest were chosen over those who worked hard to strengthen the Opposition in the state.
“The way ticket distribution has been done is not as per practice and laid rules,” Tanwar wrote to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, asking the party to spell out the criterion for allocation of tickets.
Not completely ruling out poll campaigning, Tanwar said he would assess the situation before taking a call. He, however, did not rule out his supporters contesting against Congress candidates.Meanwhile, Nirupam categorically said he would not be campaigning for the Congress candidates. “It seems Congress Party doesn’t want my services anymore. I had recommended just one name in Mumbai for Assembly election. Heard that even that has been rejected. As I had told the leadership earlier, in that case I will not participate in poll campaign. Its my final decision,” he tweeted.
Making his displeasure clear about the high command’s attitude, Nirupam said, “The future of the Congress in Mumbai is very bad as incompetent people are in the driving seat.” Last month, Congress leader Milind Deora had attacked Nirupam after actor-turned-politician Urmila Matondkar resigned from the party.