Journalism of Courage
The Congress brass has stepped in to pre-empt any rebellion in the rank and file over the renomination of 20-odd sitting MLAs.
Top party leaders on Thursday had a meeting with five MLAs.
According to party sources,such meetings with other MLAs are expected to take place in the coming days to fire-fight brewing resistance to the renomination. These 20 MLAs are part of the 40 sitting MLAs whose names have been recommended for renomination by the screening committee.
The five MLAs who met Delhi Congress president J P Agarwal and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit are Cabinet ministers Ramakant Goswami from Rajinder Nagar and Kiran Walia from Malviya Nagar; Jaswant Singh Rana from Narela,Neeraj Basoya from Kasturba Nagar and Rajesh Lilotia from Patel Nagar.
According to sources,resistance to the renomination of these MLAs have come from either local councillors or block and district presidents,who blamed them for the partys defeat in the municipal elections. Several Delhi Congress members from the five constituencies of Rajinder Nagar,Malviya Nagar,Kasturba Nagar,Narela and Patel Nagar said they would not support their sitting MLAs as they had done no work in their areas and would work against them if they were renominated, a Congress leader said.
The meeting on Thursday was to sort out difference and ensure better coordination in the party. Five MLAs were called to begin with. This exercise will serve as an ice-breaker,where everyone gets their issues out of the way so that unresolved issues dont backfire once the candidates are announced. Block and district presidents will also be part of such meetings, another leader said.
For all seats,there are several aspirants. Everyone realises that the ticket can be given to only one candidate. So such coordination meetings are also being held to make party workers understand this,which will ensure there is no opposition later, the leader said.
Meanwhile,the Congress screening committee further deliberated on the candidates for 27 seats in Delhi which the party lost in the 2008 Assembly elections. The committee will meet regularly over the next few days to complete the panel of names for the 27 seats. No decision has been taken on the fate of three MLAs who face serious charges, a source said.
