An Uttar Pradesh Congress leader on Thursday claimed that he had attempted to file his nomination as Congress president to challenge Rahul Gandhi for the top party post, but was rejected.
Ayub Ali, the leader, claimed that he was rudely rejected by the chairman of the Congress central election authority M Ramachandran. “I told him I would like to stand for Congress president post. He got angry and told me there will only be one candidate that is Rahul ji. He then asked me to leave,” Ali added.
Ali’s claims come a few days after Congress leader Shehzad Poonawalla questioned Rahul Gandhi's elevation to the post of party president. "Enough of dynastic politics in the Congress. I am raising an issue nobody in my party — the Congress — will ever have the guts to raise. My conscience will not allow me to stay quiet anymore on dynasty and sycophancy," Poonawalla told DNA.
Poonawalla also said that he did this without the knowledge of Tehseen, a decision which had weighed long on his conscience and which he could defer no more. On a personal note, he told DNA, "Had I told Tehseen, he would have talked me out of it. But I am not ready for this any more. Congress had stood for open democracy since Gandhiji's time and time has come to honour it in modern India."
Continuing his criticism of the grand old party, Poonawalla alleged that the organisation did not value merit as much as family relations or a ‘sycophant of the dynasty.’ He also claimed that if the Congress got rid of dynasty politics, there would be a 30 percent surge in the number of seats won by them.
Poonawalla also opined that rather than blaming any other factors, the Congress must accept defeat on grounds of their leadership not being strong enough.
‘The Congress leadership should not blame EVM or any other factor, but review their leadership, as this is what victory or defeat should be based on. Congress minus dynasty will get 30 percent more votes. Even in the upcoming polls in Gujarat, Congress will get 150 seats if they end dynasty politics.’ he said.
Earlier this week, Poonawalla had claimed that the poll process to choose the Congress president was stacked in Rahul's favour just because he belongs to the Gandhi family.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi likened Rahul Gandhi's imminent elevation as Congress president to "Aurangzeb Raj" or the rule of the 17th century absolutist Mughal emperor.
"Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar today said there was no poll when Shah Jahan came in place of Jahangir, or when Aurangzeb came in place of Shah Jahan. It was known from the start that the Emperor's son will be the heir," he said.
"This means that Congress's senior leaders admit that Congress is not a party but a clan. And their coming to power means the emperor's son taking the throne. Let them be happy with this Aurangzeb Raj," Modi said in South Gujarat's Dharampur on Monday, five days prior to the first phase of polls. Aiyar had also said, "...but in a democracy, elections are held."
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi greets supporters")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}