Prasada8217;s supporters lathi-charged

LUCKNOW, NOVEMBER 12: The outcome was a foregone conclusion and the man who challenged Sonia Gandhi was totally overwhelmed by the party m...

LUCKNOW, NOVEMBER 12: The outcome was a foregone conclusion and the man who challenged Sonia Gandhi was totally overwhelmed by the party machinery. And yet when the polling took place here today, sparks flew. Supporters of the two camps clashed and Jitendra Prasada8217;s men were lathi-charged by the police at the party hearquarters. Prasada has been alleging bungling in the voting process.

Sonia cast her vote amidst much slogan-shouting around noon. This was for thefirst time that any AICC chief was voting in his or her own election andthe atmosphere was surcharged. Sonia could have stayed back in Delhi but her managers carried the battle straight into Lucknow since Prasada has the largest following in the state.

His supporters, who were not allowed to enter the party headquarters, guarded by the RAF, police and the Sewa Dal, tried to force their way in Prasada8217;s trail after Sonia cast her vote and left. The police lathicharged them, causing injuries to nearly a dozen. 8220;The Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee supporters are hand-in-glove with the BJP government and the lathi-charge has proved this. I have already written a letter to the CentralElection Authority highlighting the bungling in the voting process butno arrangements were made,8221; alleged Surendra Nath Awasthi alias Puttu, party MLA and a Prasada acolyte.

Prasada described the incident as 8220;shameful8221; and expressed the hope thathe would get votes. 8220;It is shocking that our own partymen have been lathi-charged but wait and see,8221; he said. Except for his staunch supporters, the rest shunned him today, but he did raise some echoes. 8220;The points raised by him are true cent per cent but we cannot do much at this stage,8221; said a senior partyman, who did not wish to be identified.

Sonia8217;s presence had electrified the party headquarters which wore a festivelook with numerous banners proclaiming faith in her leadership. Congressmen were jostling each other to catch a glimpse of her. Prasada and his supporters, including MPs Begum Noor Bano and Sujan Singh Bundela, could not even get chairs to sit.

Sonia, on her part, ruled out the possibility of Prasada being expelled from the party. 8220;The election was a manifestation of the prevailing internal democracy in the party and thus there is no question of anybody8217;s expulsion on this count,8221; she told reporters at Raj Bhawan, where she was taken after casting her vote. She denied any large-scale bunglings in voting. 8220;Therecould be some discrepancies but this is a massive exercise which wewill sort out later,8221; she added. 8220;I have full faith in my party workers.8221;