NEW DELHI, Nov 7: In a bid to contain the damage from within, senior Congress leaders are busy placating rebel candidates. Local leaders have also been asked to try and bring the rebels back to the party fold. Interestingly, there is a rebel candidate even from Sheila Dixit's constituency. Matin Ahmed, the sitting Congress MLA from Seelampur, was denied the ticket because of his alleged criminal record. In his place the Congress has decided to field Salaudeen Pehalwan. However, Ahmed has gone ahead and filed his nominations as an Independent.Another Congress rebel is Ramesh Datta, a municipal councillor, who has filed his nomination from Minto Road in protest against the official choice - Tajdar Babbar. According to sources, his candidature is likely to cost the party significantly as he has a sizeable following in the area. In municipal elections, when denied a Congress ticket, he contested as a rebel and won. Romesh Sabharwal, contesting as an Independent against Sheila Dikshit from the Gole Marketconstituency, has managed to garner the support of all the frontal organisations of the Congress in the area. Several office bearers, including Block Youth Congress (YC) president Soni Lal, district NSUI president Neeraj Kumar, Block NSUI president Harish Sharma, Block Minority Cell president Maskoor Ahmed and Chairman of the Gole Market Sewa Dal SL Ujjainwal today submitted their resignation to Sonia Gandhi in protest against Dikshit's candidature. Among others who have filed their nominations as Independents are Jeet Singh from Mandawali, Amod Sharma from Chandini Chowk, Harcharan Singh Josh from Sadar Bazar and Shriram Maggo from Moti Nagar.Dinesh Jain, who has filed his nomination from Tilak Nagar said: ``I have been approached by some local leaders and Sheilaji herself to withdraw my nomination, but I have refused. I left the Janata Party during the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year because I was promised a ticket. Since my ticket has been given to Arjun Singh's candidate, I have decided tocontest as an Independent.''Former YC president Brahm Yadav has filed his nomination from Rajinder Nagar and Tilak Raj Malhotra from Jangpura.
