Deepak Bavaria, AICC in-charge, has announced his resolve to initiate contempt proceedings against his party leaders. Bavaria made this announcement while speaking at a party conclave. Upset over bribery charges, Bavaria said that he would file a case against a ticket seeker who had alleged that he had taken money for giving tickets.

“I didn’t want to work in Madhya Pradesh for various reasons, but AICC president Rahul Gandhi has asked me to remain in the state till Lok Sabha elections,” said a visibly offended Congress leader, while speaking at the party’s OBC convention here on Monday.

In the convention held in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, many leaders, including Congress Working Committee member Arun Yadav, deputy speaker Hina Kawre, member of parliament Rajmani Patel and others, were present.

"People are levelling false allegations that I took money for giving assembly tickets. I am hurt and I wanted to leave the state, but the AICC national president Rahul Gandhi insisted on my stay,” said an emotionally charged Congress leader.

“Two ticket seekers had accused me of accepting money; while one has sought apology for his remarks, the other person has still not apologised, said Bavaria, adding “I will drag him to court for his false statement”.

“I am also held responsible for defeat of four candidates but all of them have clarified the reason for losing the seats” said Bavaria. ”I have tolerated insult and humiliation for one year but kept going with only one mission and that was to form a Congress government in Madhya Pradesh” Bavaria added.

Addressing a crowd at the Gandhi Bhavan auditorium, Bavaria alleged, “Some people with vested interest send men to manhandle me, abuse me in public. But I hail from Gandhi’s Gujarat. Even if you put a gun to my head I will still say what I believe because I have no stake other than the benefit of the Congress party”.

Bavaria’s emotional outburst comes a week after Sashank Bhargav, Congress MLA from Vidisha, alleged that because of Deepak Bavaria, the Congress lost four seats in Vidisha district. Bhargava also alleged corruption while speaking in a party internal meeting and said the AICC general secretary should be sent back to Gujarat.

Not just this, earlier last year Deepak Bavaria was roughed up in a rest house in Rewa after he told reporters there that either Kamal Nath or Jyotiraditya Scindia would be chief minister if the Congress party came to power in the state. A group of Congress workers entered his room after his press conference and manhandled him. Bavaria also courted controversy within the state Congress after he said that those who lost the assembly elections will not get tickets to contest Lok Sabha.

State Congress remained tight-lipped after Bavaria’s emotional outbreak. No one wanted to comment on the senior leader and what he accused party leaders and workers of.

Similarly, BJP found itself in a highly embarrassing situation when one of its veteran leaders declared: “I am a warrior, I know how to wage my battle”. This declaration of war has been made by Dr. Ram Krishna Kusmaria, many time MP, MLA and minister, who was denied party ticket for the recently held Vidhan Sabha elections. After denial of ticket he contested the election as an independent from two Vidhan Sabha constituencies but lost. He blamed BJP for his defeat. On Monday (January 28) he met former chief minister Babulal Gaur and shared his agony with him. Kusmaria told Gaur that he was not only denied ticket but was also humiliated by the party leadership. Gaur himself caused a sensation when he disclosed that he has been offered Lok Sabha ticket by the Congress. Asked about his response he said that so far he has neither accepted nor rejected the offer.

Meanwhile, Sardar Sartaj Singh in a statement has held Prime Minister Narendra Modi responsible for the BJP’s defeat in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan. Sartaj Singh, it may be recalled, fought election on the Congress ticket and lost. He is a many-times MP, MLA, Central and state Minister. He left BJP after he was denied ticket for the Vidhan Sabha elections. He predicted that if Babulal Gaur contests Lok Sabha election from Bhopal the BJP will lose.

Both the parties have initiated consultation about the strategy to be adopted for the May Lok Sabha elections. For example, BJP has decided not to field Rajya Sabha members and losers in the Assembly elections for the Lok Sabha.

Sources in BJP disclosed that a recent internal survey cum-feedback by the party has concluded that the BJP may again get a shocking result in the Lok Sabha elections. This is because several MPs who had won in 2014 riding on Modi wave are unlikely to retain their seats this time. It was also observed that without involving MLAs, who had won the assembly elections with a considerable margin, the party would not succeed in retaining the 26 seats in the state in the final battle to bring Modi back to power.

“The recently concluded poll meetings revealed that the leadership is unwilling to field the Rajya Sabha members or sitting MLAs and former ministers who have lost assembly elections. There are several losers lobbying for LS ticket but the party has decided to field new names,” said a senior state BJP functionary.

As far as Congress is concerned, winnability will be the only criterion for the selection of candidates. A meeting of Congress observers for 29 Lok Sabha constituencies apprised that there was no criterion for selection of candidates for the general elections other than ‘winnability’ of the candidate.

The meeting held on Sunday evening at PCC headquarter here was presided over by state Congress president and chief minister Kamal Nath and attended by Deepak Bavaria. The observes were told that they should try to shortlist three names from each constituency after which the party would conduct a survey on the possibility of their victory. Names would also be suggested by the party on the basis of survey to examine the possibility of their victory. (IPA Service)