Lok Sabha Polls: Another Setback For Congress As 400 Workers Quit Party In Rajasthan

Jaipur: The Congress continues to bleed ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In the latest setback, around 400 workers have resigned from the party’s primary membership, IANS reported quoting sources.

The situation worsened after Congress formed an alliance with Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) for the Nagaur and agreed to sitting MP and RLP chief Hanuman Beniwal contesting from that constituency.

It fuelled internal disputes within Congress.

Discontent had been brewing from earlier this week when the grand old party suspended three workers – including former MLA Bhararam and Kuchera Municipality chairperson Tejpal Mirdha — for six years each on allegations of campaigning for Nagaur’s BJP candidate Jyoti Mirdha on the basis of a complaint by Beniwal.

Following their suspension, the Congress trio resigned as party members.

Mirdha called a press conference on Friday and slammed the party.

“Congress was in a strong position in Nagaur during Assembly polls. It won four out of eight seats. Even in Lok Sabha polls, its position was equally strong. Despite this, why was the alliance formed with the RLP,” he questioned.

“Hanuman Beniwal is trying to destroy the Congress in Nagaur. Congress workers have been deeply shocked with the formation of alliance with such a person. That’s why we are giving our collective resignation letter,” he stated.

“Congress high command formed an alliance with RLP without the consent of local Congress state unit. This alliance has been imposed on us. RLP had worked to defeat Congress in the entire district. We never shared the stage with BJP. Still, Beniwal expelled us from the party. The Congress, without any information or showcause notice, directly issued a Tughlaqi decree and expelled us,” Mirdha claimed.

“Congress is now no longer the same party which it used to be in the past. Here one person is running the party according to his own wish and will. It is important that this message reaches the Congress high command that the party is destroying itself in Rajasthan. Recently, Beniwal in one of his campaigns has said that Congress has five to seven such party workers who are campaigning for the BJP in the guise of Congressmen. Such people should be thrown out,” he claimed.