New Delhi, November 7
AICC general secretary Margaret Alva, who created a flutter yesterday by alleging sale of party nominations in recent Assembly polls in Karnataka, may be in for some trouble.
AICC media department chairman Veerrapa Moily today said Alva’s case had been referred to the central disciplinary action committee of the party headed by defence minister A.K. Antony. “The matter has been referred to the chairman of the disciplinary committee,” he said.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who the party sources said was “very upset” over the outburst, would also talk to Alva. “Hopefully it is a one-time aberration...but problems may arise if it becomes chronic,” they added.
It goes without saying Alva has left the Congress red-faced and embarrassed, especially with six states heading for Assembly elections. The party today said it categorically disapproved of Alva’s charges that election tickets were sold in Karnataka.
A senior Congress leader today admitted: “We all (party members) are surprised,” adding that election time were not the “desired time” for then party to face such trying situations.
Putting up a brave front at the Congress briefing, party spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi tried to play the incident down by saying mechanism and
established convention of the party was large and capacious enough to handle such grievances. “It goes without saying such grievances should not to be aired in the public,” he added.
“We do not agree with sweeping statements and… grievances ought not be aired in public,” Singhvi said. Describing Alva as a seasoned and senior leader of the party, the party spokesperson said: “We are sure such outburst will never occur again.”
Antony, when asked for his reaction on the issue at a defence ministry function today, merely said politics should not be mixed with issues relating to defence.
Alva had yesterday questioned the presence of a number of relatives of party leaders among candidates being fielded for the upcoming Assembly elections in various states.
Alva, who had been sulking since her son Nivedith was not given nomination in Karnataka elections, created an embarrassment for the party as she alleged adoption of “different yardsticks” in deciding party nominations for upcoming elections in six states. Apparently, she is also upset over the appointment of her bete noire R.V Deshpande as state party chief.
She had wondered why her son and grandson of former minister C.K Jaffer Sharief were not given nominations while relatives of two dozen leaders were given tickets in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.
AICC general secretary Prithviraj Chavan, who is in-charge of party affairs in Karnataka, has already dismissed her charges.
