Congress racked by dissidence in Rajasthan

The Congress party in Rajasthan is facing growing dissent following its humiliating defeat in the three assembly by-elections.

Bhairon Singh Gurjar, one of the secretaries in the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress Committee, has resigned accusing rampant corruption both in the Ashok Gehlot-led government and the party. He said, "The Congress had to suffer humiliating defeat in Bali, Bansur and Saagwara [bypolls] because of self-serving state leaders who had systematically pushed back the loyal Congressmen."

"If the situation continued like this the party would have to sit in opposition after the next year's assembly election," he said. "Ministerial berths and offices in the organisation have been given to wealthy persons, relatives of old leaders and people belonging to backward classes, scheduled castes and scheduled tribes."

Senior leaders like former chief ministers Shiv Charan Mathur, Jagannath Pahadia, Heera Lal Devpura and others like former Union ministers Nawal Kishore Sharma and Ram Niwas Mirdha have been ignored, Gurjar claimed.

Deputy chief whip of the Congress Legislature Party Mahesh Joshi attacked the functioning of the government publicly in the assembly on Tuesday. He had criticised the department of urban development on the issue of high rates for regularisation of urban lands.

Meanwhile, some Congress legislators are also trying to build up pressure on the party high command in Delhi against Gehlot, complaining against his style of functioning. No one, though, is demanding a change of guard in the state as yet.