Congress workers protest poll process

A large number of delegates asserted that the whole process of election was a farce as in most districts actual polling did not take place and it was declared that the PCC delegates as well as the district presidents were elected by consensus. “There are no takers for the theory of consensus.

When there is no consensus even at the top level, I do not think that there will be a consensus at the grass root level. The entire election process is a fraud,” said a former MLA.

Kadam said that the organisational elections in North East district were virtually a farce as Kamat and Pradesh Returning Officer (PRO) Santosh Mohan Deo had acted hand-in-gloves. Incidentally, Kamat was a MP from the North East parliamentary constituency and is one of the conveners of MRCC.

In his memorandum, which was also submitted to MPCC President Sushil Kumar Shinde, Kadam pointed out that there was discontent among the party workers in the area as the had PRO published the list of Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates, though actual elections were not held. “Instead of holding the actual elections, Deo published the list of PCC delegates, which was given to him by Kamat,” he alleged.

The former Mayor said that under no circumstances would he accept such illegal elections and demanded stern action against erring party leaders, while Vilas Chavan, another leader from the same area demanded immediate expulsion of Kamat from the party.

“We had to resort to the extreme step of staging a dharna as there was no response either from Deo or Shinde to our series of letters and faxes to them,” Kadam added. Gurudas Kamat was not available for comment.

Congress spokesman Ratnakar Mahajan said now it was for Santosh Mohan Deo to react to the charges levelled by Kadam. “So far as the party is concerned, the organisational elections were held as the procedure laid down by the party and I do not think that any regularity was committed in the North East district,” Mahajan said.

Meanwhile, a senior Congress leader expressed concern over the dharna staged by the former Mayor, saying it will have state wide repercussions. “What has been alleged by Kadam has been reported in most of the districts in the state, but no one has come forward to lodge an official complaint. However, now they will be certainly encouraged by the steps taken by Kadam,” he pointed out.