The Hindu : Shiv Shanker quits Congress

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 31, 2004

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Shiv Shanker quits Congress

By Our Staff Reporter

P. Shiv Shanker

HYDERABAD, MARCH 30. A Senior Congressman and head of the Other Backward Classes cell of the All-India Congress Committee, P. Shiv Shanker, resigned from the primary membership of the party today.

Mr. Shiv Shanker, who has held several key portfolios in the Cabinets of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, was apparently annoyed over the manner of selection of candidates for the elections. At a press conference here, he said he would not reconsider the decision. He had no plans at the moment to join any party, either. He alleged that the party was not fair to the weaker sections in the allotment of ticket. Of the 68 Assembly seats declared in the first list, 40 went to the "upper castes." This was not even half of the 30 per cent seats promised to the weaker sections. The same was the case with the Congress' alliance partner, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which gave only four of the 16 seats to the weaker sections in the first list.

Mr. Shiv Shanker, former Governor of Kerala and Sikkim, discounted speculation that he might join the Telugu Desam Party. He said he would canvass for independents and those espousing the cause of socially and economically weaker sections. He did not out rule out the possibility of floating a new party but "if it is to be done, it would be at an appropriate time after the elections". He would meet his followers in the next couple of days to discuss his plans.

A number of leaders, including from the TDP and the TRS, called him up to express solidarity.

Mr. Shiv Shanker said there was no question of his joining the TDP. He said he had met Mr. Naidu in 1999 regarding the allotment of a plot of land and again following the naxalite attempt on his life. He alleged that the "powers-that-be" in the Congress were collecting huge sums of money for the allotment of ticket, but added that he could not furnish any proof.

Asked about his claim to the Nizamabad Lok Sabha seat, Mr. Shiv Shanker said he was keen on a Rajya Sabha seat so as to have ample time to pursue literary activities. The AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, had brought the Congress to a state where people like him had to quit the party, he said.

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