Madhya Pradesh Congress seeks Rajya Sabha berth for Priyanka Gandhi

Bhopal: A section of Congress in Madhya Pradesh on Monday demanded Rajya Sabha ticket for AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi from MP causing discomfiture in the camp of senior party leader Jyotiraditya Scindia.

State public works department (PWD) minister Sajjan Singh Verma, said to be a close aide of chief minister Kamal Nath, and former MP Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Arun Yadav, who is an aspirant for RS ticket, demanded Ms Gandhi be sent to the upper house from MP, contending that the move would bolster the morale of party workers and strengthen unity in Congress in the state.

The demand by the two senior party leaders has not only taken Mr Scindia’s camp by surprise but also caused discomfiture among them.

“It appears a move has been launched to deny Mr Scindia to go to the RS from MP by pitting him against Ms Gandhi for RS ticket. The demand makes no sense since the decision to declare RS nominees rests with party high command”, one of Mr Scindia’s followers told this newspaper on Monday.

Three RS seats are going to fall vacant in MP in April with tenures of veteran Congress leader Digvijay Singh and two BJP leaders, Satyanarayan Jati and Prabhat Jha, in the upper house ending in the month.

While the ruling Congress and Opposition BJP are in a position to send one candidate each to the RS, the third seat may go for elections.

Ms Gandhi, if given RS ticket from MP by her party, was expected to be the first choice of the party. Both Mr Scindia and Mr Singh are aspirants for RS ticket.