Bhopal: Apparently facing a financial crunch, the Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress on Sunday asked those seeking tickets for the coming Assembly elections in the state to furnish a demand draft of Rs 50,000 with the application.
"We will be initiating the process of selecting candidates...(ticket) aspirants can submit their applications between March 5 and 15," said the Congress general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, Deepak Babaria, after holding meetings with party office-bearers in Bhopal.
"We decided today that aspirants for the party ticket will submit a demand draft of Rs 50,000 with the applications. The amount would be Rs 25,000 for those in SC/ST and women category. Party needs their help," Babaria told reporters. To a question, Babaria said this didn't mean that poor ticket aspirants won't be considered at all.
"The AICC (All India Congress Committee) would take the aspirants who are poor but who enjoy a mass support in consideration. (Lack of) Money will not be a hindrance for such candidates," he said.
The ruling BJP has been spending a huge amount of money during elections, the Congress leader alleged. Aspirants should also desist from putting on a show of strength to get a ticket, he said.
The Congress will start a series of agitations against "BJP's misrule" with a gherao of state Assembly on March 12, he said.
Clarifying his statement, made a couple of days ago, that the leaders who are above 60 would not get the ticket, Babaria said what he meant was such leaders, who have been defeated in recent elections, should themselves withdraw. "This is not a policy decision. I believe such leaders should pave the way for younger faces of their own will. The AICC will consider all potential candidates (of all ages)," he said.
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