Cong red-faced as candidate refuses ticket

Rahul Gandhi got a rude shock moments after arriving in Pilibhit when party candidate from Barkhera V M Singh made it clear that he would not contest the Assembly election on a Congress ticket.

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday got a rude shock moments after arriving in Pilibhit when party candidate from Barkhera V M Singh made it clear that he would not contest the Assembly election on a Congress ticket.

In the sugarcane belt of Uttar Pradesh,where Rahul Gandhi addressed a public meeting today and will address another tomorrow,Singh has been raising issues of sugarcane growers and enjoys good popularity among the locals. Singh conveyed his decision to AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh,who reached Pilibhit to join Rahul Gandhi.

He also refused to relent despite persuasion. Later,senior leaders of the party huddled together for an urgent meeting in Pilibhit. Sources said the party is thinking of fielding another candidate from Barkhera.

It is learnt that Singh was unhappy with the Mayawati government and the railways for slapping a case against him for allegedly stopping trains during a farmers agitation without verifying the facts. Also,he did not get support from the Congress party during protests against alleged desecration of a holy book in September.

Speaking to The Indian Express,Singh said,I dont have a grudge against anyone. Party people have been very nice to me. It is just that I feel sad that my party did not stand by me while I was raising issues of common man. He has called a meeting of his Rashtriya Kisan Majdoor Sangh on January 5 to decide his future course of action.

Singh is uncle of BJP MP Varun Gandhi. He had contested the 2009 Lok Sabha election against Varun from Pilibhit on a Congress ticket and lost. After the election,he had filed a petition,seeking quashing of Varuns election for his alleged communal speech.

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