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Journalism of Courage
After daylong uncertainty and threats of rebellion,the Congress sprang a surprise in its third list released late on Wednesday by announcing the candidature of former Union minister Suresh Pachauri.
One of the regional satraps and former PCC chief,Pach-auri will contest from Bhojpur constituency and face BJPs sitting MLA Surendra Patwa.
Hours after the list was announced,Congress vice-president Manak Agrawal resigned from his post,accusing Pachauri of scuttling his chances. Agrawal had sought ticket from Hoshangabad constituency. Though the Congress has held unity rallies in the recent weeks,cracks have surfaced over distribution of tickets. There has been persistent talk of differences among various leaders,especially between Jyotiraditya Scindia and PCC chief Kantilal Bhuria.
The latest part list contained 26 names,including those of six candidates who replaced the candidates announced previously. After the first two lists,there were several protests by those who were denied tickets. One group stormed into the PCC headquarters Wednesday afternoon too.
Senior leader P C Sharma,who is eyeing a ticket from Bhopal,has already indicated that he may rebel against the party if denied the ticket.
It was his defiance that forced the party to hold back candidates in three constituencies in Bhopal. The threat of rebellion forced the party to ask the candidates not to file their nominations.
