Cong report on Sushma walkover: Done in by our own man

Patel’s nomination papers for the Vidisha seat were rejected as he did not submit Form A — the party’s candidature authorisation letter — in original along with his nomination papers. The Congress had sent two observers,Harikesh Bahadur and Syed Ahmed,to Vidisha to determine the circumstances that led to the rejection of his nomination papers.

The observers were learnt to have apprised the Central leadership that there were also question marks on the way Patel had conducted his 2006 bypoll campaign for Budhni Assembly constituency from where Chief Minister Chouhan was elected,according to party sources. Patel had challenged the bypoll results in the High Court but the case was dismissed after he repeatedly failed to appear in court.

Patel was learnt to have told the observers that he had been given only a photocopy of Form A and by the time he obtained the original copy from Bhopal,the time for filing nomination was over. The party’s observers have,in their report,contradicted his stance maintaining that the state PCC had provide original copies of Form A to every candidate and Patel could not give any convincing answer as to why he would be singled out.

For somebody who has contested so many elections,he would know very well that photocopy of Form A could not be accepted,sources pointed out. Besides,Patel also could not convince the observers why he opted to file the nomination papers at the eleventh hour.

AICC general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh B K Hari Prasad told The Indian Express on phone from Ahmedabad that he was yet to get the observers’ report and was,therefore,in no position to comment.

Senior party leaders said that despite Patel’s indictment by party-appointed observers,Patel was expected to ride over the crisis. “In the last Assembly election,party candidate from Silvani Assembly constituency in Raisen district,Jaswant Singh Raghuvanshi,had done the same thing. His nomination papers were rejected because he had not submitted AB forms. No action was taken against him. In the last Assembly election,no top Congress leaders campaigned for the party candidate for Budhni Assembly seat from where the Chouhan was contesting. We have a different approach when it comes to powers that be,” said a senior Congress leader from Madhya Pradesh.