As soon as both the Congress and BJP parties started revealing their list of candidates for the next elections, it became evident that both parties are experiencing a crisis of sorts in trying to find good candidates for the respective zones. While the Congress stepped down from its high morale of not giving any election tickets to tainted party members, the BJP has succumbed to dynasty politics by allotting tickets for family members of prominent BJP leaders. The BJP is also yet to release its Prime Ministerial nominee candidature from Uttar Pradesh.
On Thursday, the Congress gave away election tickets to Pawan Bansal and Subodh Kant, tainted leaders of the party who had been forced out of the Cabinet earlier on account of corruption charges.
While the Congress Vice president Rahul Gandhi may have insisted on applying strict anti-corruption ordinance, his own party has succumbed to political pressures and has been forced to accept a few compromises.
In a press statement, Pawan Bansal told reporters, “I thank my President and Vice President for trusting me. The perception is among people like you. I have lived in Chandigarh all my life. I know what people are thinking better than anyone sitting here.
The controversy about recruitment fraud was simulated. Allegations can be made against everyone. There’s not a shred of evidence against me especially after cognizance taken by court. I will be vindicated further when I win.”
Bansal also revealed that Rahul Gandhi was the main say when it comes to giving away election tickets. Bansal claims that experience made Rahul change the decision and approve for the former’s candidature.
On the other side of the border, the BJP has still shown no signs of filing Narendra Modi’s candidature in Uttar Pradesh. The party’s complete list pertaining to this state alone has been kept on hold for quite some time now.
And going by the looks of it, it is clear that the BJP has succumbed to the very same blame it had thrown on the Congress; dynasty politics.
The candidature list revealed by the BJP showed that Pramod Mahajan’s daughter Poonam and Yashwant Sinha’ son Jayant had been given election tickets. However, other senior party members like Shatrughan Sinha have not been given a seat yet.
While some in the party have accepted this move, others have been voicing their criticism openly. In Bihar, BJP leader Giriraj Singh revealed how he was upset about these developments and their possible repercussions on the democratic set up.
Summary
Both the Congress and the BJP have succumbed to the very ordinances they set. While the Congress led by Rahul Gandhi has allotted election tickets to tainted party members, the BJP has allotted tickets to family members of senior BJP leaders, thereby jumping into dynasty politics. The next few days are considered important decision making ones for both the Congress and the BJP. While the Congress would need to coax more of its leaders to contest in the elections, the BJP would need to subdue the tension within the party and handle the mounting ambitions of its party members.
