No tickets to sitting MLAs: Congress

INDORE: After forming the government in Madhya Pradesh on a thin margin, Congress has decided against giving tickets to any of its sitting MLAs and their close relatives in Lok Sabha Polls.
“There are instructions from Rahul Gandhi ji that the sitting MLAs, including the cabinet ministers of Congress, will not contest Lok Sabha Polls in Madhya Pradesh. Following the same line, no sitting MLA has been given a party ticket in the state,” MPCC spokesperson Shobha Oza told TOI.
After the announcement was made during a press conference held by MPCC on Thursday to discuss its manifesto for the general elections, the sports and youth welfare minister Jitu Patwari, who had earlier expressed his wish to contest from Indore parliamentary seat, said that “The instructions are very clear.However, if the party gives ticket to any of us including the MLAs, we will leave the existing post and will contest the polls.”
He said that Congress had finalised a panel of prospective candidates from Indore. The party was united and whoever would be given the ticket, Congress workers would help them to win the polls.
Congress has so far declared its candidates for 21 out of total 29 parliamentary constituencies including former chief minister Digvijay Singh from Bhopal, sitting MP Kantilal Bhuria from Ratlam, former MPCC president Arun Yadav from Khandwa and chief minister Kamal Nath’s son Nakul Nath from Chhindwara.
“The reason behind not giving ticket to the sitting MLAs was to meet the requirement of 116 MLAs to form the government. The threats by JAYS of breaking the alliance with Congress and claims of forming government by BJP senior leaders including former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have forced the party to hold its sitting MLAs from contesting the polls,” a senior Congress leader said wishing anonymity.
Giving details of Congress manifesto to media persons, Oza said that as part of its strategies, the chief minister and MPCC president Kamal Nath has instructed the local leaders and office bearers not to leave their respective areas and reach out to the senior leaders, who have been fielded from different parliamentary constituencies, to help them in the polls.
“The local leaders or office bearers can be better used in their own area. Their leaving the place to help the senior leaders in election campaigning in other areas will weaken the party in their area,” Oza said.