Dissention surfaces in Cong on first list of DCC heads

Patel, Choubey trying to mollify upset Congmen

Raipur, July 05, 2011

Once again, dissention in Congress has surfaced and this time it is because of first list of DCC presidents which was announced recently. Earlier, it was thought that only some of the senior leaders had complaints that their recommendations for prospective candidates were not taken seriously but now even the party workers have started displaying their displeasure overtly on the selected names for the DCC presidents.

The first list indicated dominance of PCC president Nandkumar Patel, AICC treasure Motilal Vora, Korba Parliamentarian Charandas Mahant and leader of Congress legislators’ party (CLP) Ravindra Choubey. This irked senior leader Vidya Charan Shukla, MLA Ajit Jogi and other bigwigs in the party.

Now, when Patel is on Bastar tour, he is facing protests from the workers during his interaction with them. On Tuesday, he reached Dhamtari along with Choubey, Satyanarayan Sharma and Bhupesh Baghel where the Kurud legislator Lekhram Sahu and Nagri-Sihava legislator Ambika Markam had reportedly objected over selection of Dhaneshwari Sahu as new DCC president.

Dhaneshwari is a staunch supported of Dhamtari MLA Gurmukh Singh Hora. Before getting the responsibility of DCC head on Hora’s recommendations, she held the post of janpad member. The party picked Dhaneshwari to balance the cast equation in Dhamtari district but the other two MLAs Lekhram Sahu and Ambika Markam wanted their recommended people to be promoted.

The party workers created scene when Dhaneshwari assumed office two days back. These workers met Patel and Choubey on Tuesday and gave them memorandum to change the DCC president pointing that they were not ready to work under their junior. Dhaneshwari who joined Congress just a year back is said to be much junior than the other workers who had served the party for years and were waiting to be elevated.

The partymen in Jagdalpur and Kondagaon too expressed their angst before Patel and his team. In Kanker the DCC president is yet to be announced. Hence, when the team reached there, Patel asked party workers to express their views about the apt DCC president candidate.

The team will reach Dantewada and Bhairamgarh on Wednesday and Narayanpur on Thursday. According to information, the aspirants of DCC president are likely to show their strength during Patel’s visit.