Cong turns to turncoats for revival

Having failed at a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party,and not finding enough win-nable candidates within,the Congress is turning to political turncoats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Of the 39 candidates announced in UP so far,there are at least eight turncoats,who joined the Congress after their own parties denied them a ticket. Party sources said the third and final list of candidates,which may be announced shortly,will have more such names. While there have been stray protests by partymen against fielding such candidates,some party leaders consider that their joining Congress shows that the political wind is blowing in the partys favour. In the last elections,the party had won just nine seats out of 80 in UP. Said party spokesman Akhilesh Pratap Singh: These candidates have the potential to win. A majority of them had left the party and are now willing to come back. Among them are also sitting MPs. This shows that the partys base is becoming stronger and these persons foresee its revival.

Nonetheless,many loyal partymen are unhappy at their return,even if they are not vocal. To explain the party decision to give them ticket,a meeting of the state coordination committee has been called for March 30 and 31 at Lucknow. Digvijay Singh,AICC general secretary in-charge of UP,will address the meeting and use the occasion to listen to all grievances and clear doubts. The committee will discuss other election related matters as well. Some of the turncoats whom the Congress has given the ticket are:

* Som Pal Shahstri left the BJP. Congress leaders say he is a potential winner who had defeated Ajit Singh in 1998.

* Ram Lal Rahi has been in and out of Congress thrice in the last 10 years. He had left the Congress in 2007 for an SP ticket for the assembly election for his son. Congress leaders claim that he had left the party,but never joined the SP.

* Baleshwar Yadav,who has been given ticket from Deoria,had contested 1998 and 1999 elections on a SP ticket but lost. In 2004,he contested under the banner of National Loktantrik Party and won.

* Saleem Shevani,who has been given a ticket for Badaun,left the SP when Mulayam Singh Yadav decided to field nephew Dharmendra Yadav from the constituency. Shervani is a four-time MP and had contested as a Congress candidate in 1984.

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* Ramesh Chand Tomar,who has been fielded from Gautam Budh Nagar,has come from the BJP. He had won from Hapur in 2004,defeating Congress candidate Surendra Prakash Goyal. After delimitation,Hapur became part of the Ghaziabad constituency,and the BJP fielded its president Rajnath Singh. Since the Congress had a sitting MP from Ghaziabad,they gave Tomar the ticket from neighbouring Gautam Budh Nagar.

* The two SP rebels Raj Babbar and Beni Prasad Verma have been given the party ticket from Fatehpur Sikri and Gonda. Congress believes both can win.

On Wednesday,some Congress leaders,led by Ranjit Singh Judeo,visited Radha Krishna Dwivedi who had been fasting in front of the SP office,demanding the ticket form Fatehpur offered him fruit juice and admitted him in the Congress. Dwivedi,a former Congressman,had been fasting for 13 days,but the SP leaders had paid no attention. On hearing his plight,the Congress leaders visited him. It is not known if he will be given the party ticket for Fatehpur.

Maulshree Seth

Maulshree Seth is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, based in Lucknow. With over 15 years of experience in mainstream journalism, she has built a formidable reputation for her on-ground reporting across Uttar Pradesh. Her expertise spans a wide array of critical beats, including state politics, governance, the judiciary, and rural development. Authoritativeness Maulshree’s work is characterized by depth and historical context. Her coverage of high-stakes state elections and landmark judicial rulings has established her as an authoritative voice on the intersection of law and politics in Northern India. She is frequently recognized for her ability to gain access to primary sources and for her nuanced understanding of the socio-economic factors that drive the world's most populous sub-national entity. Trustworthiness & Ethical Journalism Her reporting is rooted in rigorous fact-checking and a steadfast dedication to neutral, unbiased storytelling. By prioritizing field-based verification—often traveling to the most remote corners of the state—she ensures that her readers receive a truthful and comprehensive view of events. ... Read More

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Cong turns to turncoats for revival

Having failed at a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party,and not finding enough win-nable candidates within,the Congress is turning to political turncoats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Having failed at a tie-up with the Samajwadi Party,and not finding enough win-nable candidates within,the Congress is turning to political turncoats for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.