Zeenews Bureau
Mumbai: Ending days of confusion and chaos over giving tickets to the kin of national leaders in Maharashtra, the Congress on Wednesday granted ticket to President Pratibha Patil’s son Rajendra Shekhawat from Amravati.
Amravati’s sitting MLA and Minister Sunil Deshmukh had expressed faith that the same will not occur at his expense.
"I have full faith in the Congress leadership. Sonia
ji and Rahul Gandhi will do justice to me as my claim (to the
seat) is legitimate and judicious," Deshmukh had said amid reports
that the Congress President has withheld the announcement of
party nominees for Amravati, Latur and Solapur seats from
where the kin of Congress' satraps are aspirants.
Congress has justified its decision by claiming that Shekhawat is a dedicated worker of the party.
While Patil's is seeking party nomination from Amravati, former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh's son Amit and Union Energy Minister
Sushilkumar Shinde's daughter Praniti want to try their luck
from Latur and Solapur respectively.
Earlier there were reports that the Congress Election
Committee had cleared President's son for the seat represented
by her husband Devisingh Shekhawat, who was also the Mayor
of Amravati.
Meanwhile Deshmukh, Minister of State for Finance,
arrived at Amaravati from Delhi today and met his supporters.
Asked if the minister would file his papers even if
denied a Congress ticket, a close aide who did not want to be
named said, "The last date for filing papers is September
25... We will see who the party nominates."
Certain party leaders have already expressed fear that
Deshmukh could turn a rebel if denied a party ticket.
First Published: Thursday, September 24, 2009, 00:42