Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi (SP)

New Delhi, Nov 8: The rumours that were making  the rounds since the last several days, that several disgruntled Congressmen are weighing the option of defecting to Bahujan Samajwadi Party headed by Mayavati, got a  boost on Thursday, after Congress leader Margaret Alva blew the lid.  The list of  such unhappy state Congress leaders is quite impressive, sources say, which  inludes Margaret Alva, Jaffer Shariff, Siddaramaiah  etc.

Alva came down heavily on the state leadership by making the allegation, that they 'sold the Congress tickets in the last assembly election'. She also pointed fingers at the  party observers appointed to overlook the election processes here, who stuck to the rule that close relatives of the party leaders would not be given any tickets. However, she noted that in their own states, these leaders have made a volte-face and seen to it that kin of several leaders get the tickets.

All India Congress Committee general secretary Margaret Alva had been unhappy since the day her son Nivedit, was denied party ticket for the reason that he was the son of a party leader and favouring him would tantamount to nepotism. Abdul Wahab Shariff, grandson of veteran Congress leader Jaffer Shariff, was also refused the party ticket for the same reason. However, several leaders have now succeeded in pocketing the party tickets for their close relatives. In Chattisgarh for example, Ajit Jogi's wife  and son of Motilal Vohra have been given party tickets. In Madhya Pradesh, children of union minister Arjun Singh and ex deputy chief minister Jamuna Devi have been cleared as the Congress candidates. This has angered Alva.

"Have our children committed treachery? Are they terrorists? Were the rules implemented specifically against us?," she queried. "In Karnataka, outsiders oversaw tickets distribution and tickets were not distributed to genuine candidates, paving way for the Congress defeat. Those who had bright chances of winning, were denied tickets. Some leaders sold the tickets but those who got tickets in this way were naturally defeated. Congress leaders of the state are entirely responsible for the party's debacle and none else," she alleged, conspicuously choosing not to mention the  names of  such  erring leaders.