Big Setback For Congress After 400 Workers In Rajasthan Quit Party

The Congress in Rajasthan has suffered a major setback after nearly 400 party workers resigned from its primary membership on Friday, leaving the party in crisis, said party sources.

The Congress has formed an alliance with the Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) on the Nagaur Lok Sabha seat and left it vacant for the RLP.

Nagaur MP and RLP Chief Hanuman Beniwal was fielded here by the Congress.

Meanwhile, three Congress workers were suspended on Monday for six years on allegations of campaigning in favour of BJP candidate Jyoti Mirdha from Nagaur on basis of a complaint made by Beniwal.

Soon after the suspension of these Congress leaders which included former MLA Bhararam, Kuchera Municipality Chairperson Tejpal Mirdha and Sukharam Dodwadiya, there was a furore among Congress workers in Nagaur.

Protesting the suspension, the three Congress leaders resigned from the party's membership.

Tejpal Mirdha, meanwhile, called a press conference on Friday and said, "Congress was in a strong position in Nagaur during Assembly polls. It won four out of eight seats. Even in Lok Sabha polls, its position was equally strong. Despite this, why was the alliance formed with the RLP."

"Hanuman Beniwal is a tool who is trying to destroy the Congress in Nagaur. Congress workers have been deeply shocked with the formation of alliance with such a person. That's why we all are giving our collective resignation letter," he added.

"Congress high command formed an alliance with RLP without the consent of the local Congress state unit. This alliance has been imposed on us. RLP had worked to defeat Congress in the entire district. We never shared the stage with BJP. Still, Beniwal expelled us from the party. The Congress, without any information or showcause notice, directly issued a Tughlaqi decree and expelled us," he said.

"Now Congress is no longer the same party which it used to be in the past. Here one person is running the party according to his own wish and will. It is important that this message reaches the Congress high command that the party is destroying itself in Rajasthan. Recently, Beniwal in one of his campaigns has said that Congress has five to seven such party workers who are campaigning for the BJP in the guise of Congressmen. Such people should be thrown out," he said, adding, "I have been telling the same thing to District Congress President Zakir Hussain and Rajasthan Congress in-charge Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa."

On Monday night, Congress suspended three party workers for six years which included Tejpal Mirdha, who is a cousin of Jyoti Mirdha.

Meanwhile, Varun Purohit, a Congress worker, said, "This is the propaganda of BJP. This is all fake. People in the crowd are not always members of the Congress."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)