• News
  • India News
  • Team Digvijaya convinces 35 rebels to withdraw nominations in Madhya Pradesh
This story is from November 14, 2018

Team Digvijaya convinces 35 rebels to withdraw nominations in Madhya Pradesh

Team Digvijaya convinces 35 rebels to withdraw nominations in Madhya Pradesh
BHOPAL: "The house is in order and everything under control," said former minister and member of the Congress’ election coordination committee Rameshwar Neekhra on Wednesday. After hectic dialogue with rebels, Congress election coordination committee from Sunday to Wednesday succeeded in persuading at least 35 rebels to withdraw their nominations as independent candidates.

PCC chief Kamal Nath and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh individually spoke to rebels who were adamant on contesting polls from various seats as independent candidates after being denied party tickets.
However, the party failed to convince former Rajya Sabha MP Satyavrat Chaturvedi from withdrawing his son’s Samajwadi Party candidature from Rajnagar seat in Chhattarpur district. Satyavrat Chaturvedi was demanding a ticket for son Nitin from Rajnagar which is presently represented by three times MLA Vikram Singh Natiraja.
"The entire Chaturvedi family has been a Congress home from the very beginning. We spoke to Satyavrat Chaturvedi, but things did not work out and we are all unhappy," Rameshwar Neekhra told TOI. After Nitin was denied the Congress’ ticket from the seat in place of Natiraja, the Congress leader’s son filed his nomination as a Samajwadi Party candidate from the same seat. Satyavrat Chaturvedi went on record saying he will campaign for his son in Rajnagar. Despite all efforts, Congress leaders failed to have Nitin withdraw his nomination on Wednesday.
After he refused to withdraw his candidature, Congress expelled its former MLA Xavier Meda from the primary membership of the party on Wednesday. Meda was Congress MLA from Jhabua in 2008 and party candidate from the same seat in 2013 when he lost to BJP’s Shantilal Bilwal. Thus he failed to get a ticket as Congress fielded Vikrant Bhuria, son of MP from Ratlam-Jhabua Kantilal Bhuria.
Councillor of Indore municipal corporation, Preeti Agnihotri was first given the Congress’ ticket from Indore – 1 assembly seat. But there were massive protests from within the organisation and the party’s 2008 candidate Sanjay Shukla declared he would field his wife as an independent against Preeti Agnihotri. In the very next list of candidates, Congress changed Preeti and fielded Sanjay Shukla. Disappointed with the development, Preeti Agnihotri filed nominations as an independent. But on Wednesday morning and after much persuading from Digvijaya Singh and his team including veteran leader Mahesh Joshi, she withdrew her nomination.

When Congress gave its Bhopal South-West constituency ticket to former MLA and party district president PC Sharma, the party’s 2013 candidate from the seat Sanjeev Saxena announced he would fight as an independent. "Senior leader Digvijaya Singh spoke to him at that time itself and Sanjeev Saxena did not even file nominations. Mohammad Saood, a sitting independent corporator had filed nomination which could have eaten into Congress votes in the Bhopal North constituency where our candidate is Arif Aqueel," a senior Congress leader said. "Saood after speaking to coordination committee chief Digvijaya Singh and others like Rameshwar Neekhra and Vibha Patel withdrew his nominations on Monday," the Congress leader said.
Congress’ two major tickets aspirants from Bhopal Central seat Sajjid Ali and Nasir Islam withdrew their nominations as independents after intervention by the coordination committee. They were peeved after the party gave a ticket to Arif Masood, former youth Congress leader known to be close to senior leader Suresh Pachauri. State PCC office saw at least three major protest demonstrations after Masood was fielded by Bhopal Central seat.
Other Congress party rebels who withdrew their nominations include Rajendra Singh Jadon from Shujalpur seat, Narayan Richharia from Niwari in Tikamgarh, Raman Pastore from Prithvipur in Tikamragh, Madhu Bansal from Neemach, Ramesh patel from Badnawar and Rajveer Baghel from Hatpipaliya.
"During the Narmada Parikrama, Digvijaya Singh walked through 104 assembly seats. Thousands of workers joined him and walked along the banks of the Narmada," said Rameshwar Neekhra, known to be a close friend and associate of the former chief minister. "Thereafter, Digvijaya Singh as head of the coordination committee organised Sangat mein Pangat (meetings over meals) and met 1.5 lakh party workers personally. Workers faith increased and when he asked rebels to withdraw their nominations, they obeyed his orders," Neekhra added.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA