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Prasada refuses to pull his punches

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

Senior Congress leader Jitendra Prasada on Monday underscored that the Congress central election authority chairman Ram Niwas Mirdha's statement, about identifying "who voted for whom" (in the party presidential poll) violated the concept of secret ballot and that he would register his protest.

Mirdha had on Sunday told reporters at the AICC headquarters that the votes by PCC delegates to elect the Congress chief would not be mixed and that the CEA would know which delegate voted for whom. The only two candidates in the fray are party chief Sonia Gandhi and Prasada. Today was the last date for scrutiny of nominations.

"Mirdhaji's statement discourages impartial voting. I will protest, " Prasada said about it during a press conference at his residence.

"I will not withdraw, I have already come out with my agenda," Prasada pointed out when asked whether there was any likelihood of his withdrawing from the presidential race.

He also held himself responsible for the party's current state of affairs wherein not only is there mismanagement but also deliberate 'rigging' of the PCC delegates' lists in various states by Sonia's crisis managers.

He hinted that some of those included in the PCC delegates list were not genuine. "I take it for granted that those who have been made delegates are (genuine) Congressmen."

He also released a four-page document entitled 'Election for Congress president 2000 -- Why I am a candidate'.

He made it clear that the reason why he had thrown his hat into the ring was because "it is my duty to ensure that the Congress party is above individuals and personalities".

He emphasised that he had been agitating for well over a year now because "the party is getting weak and consequently the country, because the Congress represents the country." He reiterated that he and the late Rajesh Pilot had been raising issues which they felt were responsible for the party's downslide.

No Congress leader has contacted him after he had filed his nomination papers against Sonia, Prasada clarified.

The document released by Prasada summarises all that he has been agitating for -- ensuring free, fair and transparent party elections, proper demarcation of the areas of authority at various levels, respect for the party constitution, regular meeting of various party committees and the democratic functioning of the Congress's frontal organisations.

The document underscores that "it is a battle between coteries and grass-root Congress workers", and removes all doubts that Prasada may pull his punches.

Congress MP and ardent Prasada camp follower Sujan Singh Bundela alleged to rediff.com that "Soniaji's coterie members" had prevented his name from being included in the list of delegates from Uttar Pradesh.

"I think they (the Sonia camp) are apprehensive that if I am made a PCC delegate from Uttar Pradesh, I will successfully usurp the PCC chief's," Bundela said.

Significantly, former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao's lieutenant Maninderjit Singh Bitta has also joined the Prasada bandwagon.

Bitta told reporters that he had staked his life fighting terrorists in Punjab but now had been pushed to a position where he had to beg for a slot as PCC delegate.

"I want to apprise the media that hardcore terrorists from Punjab have been included as PCC delegates in the state list. Anybody can verify it," Bitta alleged.

Meanwhile, UNI reported that all nominations for Sonia Gandhi and Jitendra Prasada have been found valid, Mirdha said.

The scrutiny of nominations was done earlier in the day. Eighty sets of nomination papers were filed for Gandhi and five for Prasada.

The last date for withdrawal is November 5 and polling, if necessary, will be held on November 12.

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