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RS tickets spark Congress dissidence

Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi

The Congress Working Committee's decision to drop former Union minister of state for external affairs Natwar Singh from the list of nominees for the Rajya Sabha, allegedly under pressure from Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, is likely to stoke dissidence in the party.

So also its decision to exclude Congress rebels from the state like former Union ministers Ram Niwas Mirdha and Balram Jakhar.

Natwar Singh has been a member of the old guard and his exclusion is surprising since another veteran Arjun Singh (from Madhya Pradesh) has been asked to file his nomination papers.

In Natwar Singh's place, the Congress leadership has chosen scheduled caste candidate Jamuna Berupal Berwa. The other two candidates from Rajasthan are industrialist R P Goenka and scheduled tribe leader Mulchand Meena.

The denial of nomination to party veteran from Andhra Pradesh, Kotla Vijaybhaskara Reddy is equally surprising.

Thespian Dilip Kumar is the Congress candidate from Maharashtra while Republican Party of India leader R S Gavai is the other nominee.

While Congressmen loyal to party chief Sonia Gandhi reckon that the Rajya Sabha nominations have been done in "extremely trying circumstances", the denial of tickets to party veterans is likely to increase dissidence in the party. Indications of this have already started surfacing, sources pointed out.

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