Team News Riveting
New Delhi, September 9
With the Election Commission announcing the election to seven vacant seats of Rajya Sabha, all eyes are now set on Congress party.
The political observers will be keenly watching whether the party will send its senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad to the Rajya Sabha. The grand old party is likely to contest two seats — one in Tamil Nadu and the other in Maharashtra. In the alliance arrangement during the state polls, the DMK has promised one seat to the Congress while the seat in Maharashtra has fallen vacant after the demise of Rajiv Satav.
The Congress had dropped Ghulam Nabi Azad to get re-elected to the Upper House following his alleged key role in the G23 or Group-23 that wrote letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi expressing sorry state of affairs in the party. The G23 was dubbed as a rebellion fraction in the Congress. Azad, despite being the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Congress party avoided his re-election.
According to Congress insiders, Azad is likely to have a tough time again respite the equation has changed. Congress is likely to again witness an old versus young tussle with the party having to choose between veteran party leader Ghulam Nabi Azad and Praveen Chakravarty, chief of party’s data analytics cell and former party chief Rahul Gandhi’s close aide.
Azad has a good rapport with the DMK that is likely to bat for him. But it will not be a smooth exercise to corner Rahul’s trusted adviser. The two will eye to move to the Upper House from Tamil Nadu as in Maharashtra, the aspirants’ list to too long to accommodate someone from outside.
The leaders looking to enter the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra include Mukul Wasnik, Milind Deora and Sanjay Nirupam. Pramod Tiwari, a leader from Uttar Pradesh, is also in the fray and banking on his proximity to Priyanka Gandhi.
