Margaret Alva quits over seat sale charge

New Delhi: The ruling Congress party's general secretary, Margaret Alva, on Tuesday quit the post following an outcry over her allegation that party tickets were sold during Karnataka assembly polls in May.

There are indications that disciplinary action against her, in the form of a suspension, may be on its way as her case has been referred to the party's Disciplinary Action Committee headed by federal defence minister A.K. Antony.

Alva, considered close to party chief Sonia Gandhi, was a member of the Congress Working Committee as well as the Central Election Committee, which finalises lists of party candidates.

She sent her resignation after meeting Antony, where she is believed to have clarified her position. Later, Antony called on Sonia, apparently to discuss possible action, including duration of her suspension.

Alva last week created stir by saying party tickets were sold during Karnataka elections and the same was being witnessed during the ongoing round of assembly elections in half a dozen states, while blaming the party leadership of not following the same yardstick of not nominating relatives of party leaders while distributing tickets for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Delhi assembly polls.

Reaction

The party officially described her diatribe as "baseless, unsound and motivated". "Her allegation was a breach of party discipline and the Disciplinary Action Committee would take action against her. She is unhappy because her son was denied the ticket. She is driven by her own personal motive," senior leader Veerapa Moily, who heads the party's media cell, said on Tuesday.

He clarified that party tickets are distributed on the criteria of winnability, talent and loyalty and not because someone is the son of a party leader.

Family members of several party leaders have found place in the list of candidates released by the Congress in several states.

Party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, Sonia's son, had also earlier expressed his unhappiness with nepotism in distribution of tickets. He, however, was quoted by news agencies as saying that he was happy with the list of candidates.

"I am not unhappy with the way party tickets are being distributed," he was quoted as saying.

Support for Alva position in party

: Margaret Alva's allegation of money playing a role in selection of Congress party's nominees during the current round of assembly polls have found support from various quarters.

Former federal minister Yogendra Makwana came to Alva's rescue by saying that two candidates from his home state of Rajasthan complained to him that they were asked to pay Rs6 million (Dh461,000) and Rs4 million respectively to get nominated.

Several leaders who were denied tickets in Delhi have also been openly saying that candidature of only those who paid money to some senior party leaders were approved for the polls.

Followers of former Delhi Mayor Jayshree Panwar, who found to her dismay that her name did not figure in the list of candidates, openly accused Delhi state unit chief Jai Prakash Agarwal of taking money form Jitender Kocchar, who was nominated to fight against rival Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) chief ministerial candidate Vijay Kumar Malhotra from Greater Kailash.

Panwar's supporters ransacked the state unit office on Monday night minutes after the second list for Delhi polls, comprising the remaining 22 seats, were announced. And just to prove Alva's allegation of nepotism playing a role was not baseless, former Bihar governor Buta Singh's son Ravinder Singh Lovely was named as one of the candidates.

Lovely has hardly been active in Delhi politics and was seeking nomination for Rajasthan since his father contested Lok Sabha polls from the state.