Congress national leadership’s decision to field outsiders in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan was shock for the party leadership in these states.
Though such decisions to field a senior leader from other state instead of his or her native state for Rajya Sabha polls is not new for the party, a senior party leader said.
Taking such decisions is not new in the party, the party insider said.
In Chattisagarh the Congress has fielded Rajeev Shukla and Ranjeet Ranjan, in Maharashtra Imran Pratapgarhi who is party’s minority department chairperson and a poet, in Rajasthan Randeep Singh Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari were fielded.
Former Lok Sabha MP from Bihar Ranjeet Ranjan as Rajya Sabha candidate from Chhattisgarh has come as a surprise for many.
The selection of the outsiders in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan is crucial given the party is in power in these states where the assembly elections is due next year.
As of now there is no sudden reaction from the party units in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan but internal bickering is there about the way the outsiders were fielded appears was selection candidates for Rajya Sabha was outside the purview of poll strategy resolved in Chintan Shivir held in Udaipur.
Some leaders shared common view that the selection should have been from the local states states within where assembly elections are due next year.
in Maharashtra the party is part of the coalition government.
In Madhya Pradesh the party has renominated Vivek Tankha. A part from Tankha two more senior leaders were renominated including Jairam Ramesh and P Chidambaram.
