Rajasthan Congress gen secy resigns

JAIPUR: Dissidence in the Rajasthan Congress has come to the fore with a state general secretary resigning, alleging neglect of party functionaries.
The resignation came hours before the first meeting of the coordination committee was scheduled to take place. The committee was constituted by the AICC to create a better understanding between the state government and the party organisation.
Laxman Singh Rawat, a former state minister and MLA, faxed his resignation from the state party post late last night to the Congress president Sonia Gandhi, besides sending its copy to convenor of the coordination committee, Ambika soni.
In his letter, Rawat said the party organisation was being held responsible for the Congress'' recent debacle in the three assembly by-polls, even though "people had voted against the working of the state government".
Rawat also alleged that the Gehlot government was neglecting party workers and had failed to solve the problems of farmers and youths and was giving priority to those connected with the RSS.
Meanwhile, the coordination committee''s first meeting got underway at the Chief Minister''s official residence, where leaders like Pranab Mukharjee and Ghulam Nabi Azad, Natwar Singha and Ram Niwas Mirdha, besides Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and PCC chief Girija Vyas, were present.
Soni told reporters before the meeting that there was no formal agenda and asserted that there was no groupism in the party''s state unit.