Congress MP Meenakshi Natarajan, surrounded by rebels in Madhya Pradesh
The Congress in Madhya Pradesh is facing unprecedented rebellion over the selection of candidates for the November 25 state polls, with one veteran party member committing suicide, and an MP in Rahul Gandhi's team virtually 'held hostage' by angry party workers.
On Thursday, Congress MP Meenakshi Natarajan was forced to hide in a room from a mob of Congress workers. She had gone to Neemuch, around 200 km from Bhopal, when her car was surrounded and heckled by hundreds of party rebels, apparently supporters of disgruntled Congress leader, Rajkumar Ahir.
Mr Ahir is upset at being passed over as a candidate for the Jawad constituency in favour of an 'outsider'. His supporters accused Ms Natarajan of "colluding" with state election campaign chief Jyotiraditya Scindia to deny him a ticket.
Ms Natarajan, who is a member of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi's core team, had to be escorted through the crowd from her car to the Gandhi Bhawan. She hid in a room there as Congress workers virtually laid siege to the building and shouted slogans outside for almost an hour.
"There will be dissatisfaction as everyone cannot get tickets. If I have been partial, then the leadership should punish me," Ms Natarajan said.
Mr Ahir has now threatened to contest as an Independent candidate.
Growing anger within the faction-ridden Congress in Madhya Pradesh over the choice of poll candidates forced party president Sonia Gandhi to call an unscheduled meeting of leaders from the state on Thursday evening.
The suicide of a Congressman was a wake-up call for the party which has already declared 217 out of the 230 seats.
Narsingh Malviya, a leader from Agar, allegedly committed suicide by taking poison on Thursday morning. Party leaders say Mr Malviya was hoping to get a ticket to contest the polls from Agar, but it went to another candidate, Madhu Gehlot, instead.
Furious at the party's refusal to field him, Mr Malviya protested for days and even burnt effigies of Madhu Gehlot.