MP assembly polls: Congress workers protest outside Kamal Nath's residence

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Rebellion in the Madhya Pradesh unit of the Congress continues with several ticket hopefuls protesting against the ticket allotment by the party.

Congress workers on Monday protested outside the residence of former CM and party's State chief Kamal Nath in Bhopal demanding the candidates declared for Narmadapuram, Seoni Malwa and Rampur Baghelan assembly seats be changed.

The workers also claimed that if the candidates were not changed then Congress would have to face a big defeat in the upcoming polls.

A party worker Omkar Chaudhary told ANI, "Don't consider this a protest. We are all the workers of Congress and belong to Congress ideology. Going by the manner in which tickets have been distributed, they have chosen the wrong candidates. The party has given a ticket to Girja Shankar Sharma from Narmadapuram seat and the entire district is protesting it as it is being seen from the point of view of familism."

Girja Shankar Sharma's brother Sitasaran Sharam is contesting from the same seat on the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) ticket.

Both brothers are contesting against each other and the people of the entire constituency are against the (Sharma) family. No one is in support of them. Girja Shankar himself recently joined Congress after leaving the BJP, Chaudhary said.

"The senior leaders of the Congress party have visited the assembly and at that time it was said that the survey for the ticket will be conducted in view of the ground leader. If the section was to be done on the basis of a survey then we think that the name of Chandra Gopal Malaiya should be in it because he has dedicated his entire life to the party. Now, we demand that the candidate should be changed," he added.

On the other hand, Congress spokesperson Abbas Hafeez reacted to the protest and said that the party was ready to hear the objections of the workers and leaders.

"The ticket distribution has been done on the basis of a survey and with complete transparency. Those who have been liked by the public and workers have been given tickets. If any worker or leader has any objection to the ticket distribution, then in such circumstances the party is always ready to listen to their objections," Hafeez added.

Madhya Pradesh will go to the assembly polls on November 17 and the counting of votes will take place on December 3.

(ANI)