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HomePolitics‘Panic & unrest’ in Maharashtra Congress as outsider Pratapgarhi who lost 2019...

‘Panic & unrest’ in Maharashtra Congress as outsider Pratapgarhi who lost 2019 polls gets RS nod

Imran Pratapgarhi, 34 and from UP, was chosen over veterans like Milind Deora and Sanjay Nirupam. Some leaders call move ‘undemocratic’ but others accept high command’s call.

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Mumbai/New Delhi: The Congress has chosen 34-year-old Imran Pratapgarhi, its minority department chairman and a poet from Uttar Pradesh, as its Rajya Sabha nominee from Maharashtra — a pick that has created “unrest” and “panic” among state party leaders.

In nominating Pratapgarhi, the party overlooked veterans such as Sanjay Nirupam, Milind Deora, and Naseem Khan, whose names had been floating around as probable candidates for the Upper House.

A senior Congress leader from Maharashtra, requesting anonymity, told ThePrint that there is “panic” among leaders. “There is unrest here because the candidate is an outsider. There was no consultation with anyone locally and the name was decided by Delhi,” he alleged.

“The local leadership has been completely ignored. It is a blunder this time. There were quite a few senior leaders who could have been thought of. He (Pratapgarhi) is very junior,” he added.

Some leaders made their disappointment public.

On Tuesday morning, former MLA from Nagpur and Maharashtra Congress General secretary, Ashish Deshmukh, resigned from his post over ‘outsider’ Pratapgarhi nomination.

“There are many efficient, experienced workers and leaders in Maharashtra who want to make the state stronger and despite that, chance has been given to an outsider who is a political novice and a lightweight. Congress will become weaker here. I have no hopes that he will work for the state,” Deshmukh told ThePrint.

Although he said he will not quit the party, Deshmukh said Pratapgarhi’s nomination was unfair and claimed many leaders and MLAs were upset and angry over this selection. He even questioned the Pratapgarhi’s qualification for the Rajya Sabha.

“There is only one MP from Maharashtra and now if there was a chance that one more from the state could go to RS, then for the upcoming elections of municipalities, zilla parishads, congress workers would have gotten some strength to fight. But this is injustice to them and someone from UP has been forced upon us and hence I am resigning from my post,” said Deshmukh.

Nagma, general secretary of the Mahila Congress and vice-president of the Mumbai Congress, also shared her views on social media.

“Our 18 years of penance also fell short in front of Imran Bhai,” she tweeted. “Sonia Ji, our Congress president, had personally committed to accommodating me in RS in 2003/04 when I joined Congress party on her behest. We were not in power then. Since then it is been 18 years, they did not find an opportunity. Mr Imran is accommodated in RS from Maharashtra,” she wrote. “I ask am I less deserving,” she added later.

ThePrint tried to seek a comment from Nagma via phone but the call went unanswered.

Meanwhile, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole denied a rift within the party or that leaders were miffed about the nomination. “Our high command, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, have decided and our entire party is with them and it is our duty to fulfil what they have decided,” he told reporters.

“There is no disappointment within the party. People might have their own personal opinions, which they can put forth, but our party high command has selected the nominee and we all welcome a young dynamic leader as our Rajya Sabha candidate,” he added.

When ThePrint contacted Sanjay Nirupam, he too said: “Whatever decision the party has taken is final and I accept it. There is no resentment.”

The Rajya Sabha elections are slated to be held on 10 June, with six seats up for grabs in Maharashtra.


Also read: Congress nominates 10 Gandhi loyalists for Rajya Sabha polls, many G-23 leaders given a miss


‘A democratic party’

Pratapgarhi, after filing his nomination at the state Vidhan Bhavan on Monday, told reporters that the Congress was a democratic party.

“If within the family someone has put forth some view, then the Congress is a democratic party and we respect their views. But there is no opposition within the party and I am confident of winning the seat,” he said.

On Nagma’s disappointment, Pratapgarhi said: “Please also look at her tweets later where she has congratulated (the candidates). I believe every person should have confidence that they are deserving. But the Congress is a democratic party and a family. So, whatever the family head decides, we are all in it together.”

However, the Maharashtra Congress leader quoted earlier did not agree that the names were chosen democratically. “It is said that there is a democratic process in the Congress but nothing democratic happened this time. The democratic process involves calling the names of people interested from the state, then discussion and scrutiny of the names. That was the system but nothing of this sort happened here,” the leader said.

Who is Imran Pratapgarhi?

The announcement of Pratapgarhi’s name has come as a surprise to many in Maharashtra who were hoping that a local leader would make it to the Congress list.

Sources in the party told ThePrint that Pratapgarhi has a “lot of backing” within the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

“He’s not just backed by Rahul Gandhi but is also in Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s good books,” a Congress source aware of the developments said.

Another Congress source said Pratapgarhi was “replacing” veteran Congressman Ghulam Nabi Azad as the party’s Muslim representative in the Upper House.

“He’s young, well-spoken and will be able to articulate well in the House. However, his age and [lack of] experience have rubbed many in the AICC the wrong way,” the source said.

At 34 years old, Pratapgarhi is a product of the Indian Youth Congress, having served in various positions in the organisation. As of now, he’s the chairman of the party’s minority affairs department — a post he was appointed to in 2021. He contested the 2019 Lok Sabha elections from Moradabad but lost his deposit.

(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)


Also read: Mirabai verses, Tagore & Kishore songs — Rajya Sabha plans musical adieu for retiring members


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