The Hindu : Other States / Madhya Pradesh News : Postponement of party polls gives Congress a breather

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Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

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Other States - Madhya Pradesh

Postponement of party polls gives Congress a breather

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, APRIL 5. The last-minute decision to postpone the Congress party's organisational elections in Madhya Pradesh as the election schedule was coinciding with the "Dandi March" commemoration has come as a breather for a section of State Congress leaders who had started questioning the appointment of some Block Returning Officers (BROs) and expressing lack of confidence in the election process.

Earlier word had spread that the Pradesh Returning Officer (PRO), H. Hanumanthappa, was serious about ensuring free and fair polls right from the booth committee to the State Congress Committee level. It was being emphasised in party circles that Mr. Hanumanthappa would not be following the old system of straightaway appointing the nominees of the Central and State Congress leaders as BROs. Instead the thrust this time would be on picking Congressmen with a proven track-record on the membership drive front.

Already there was considerable disquiet and anxiety among a sizeable section of Congressmen here on the reservation issue as the post of MPCC delegate in many blocks had been reserved for the SC/ST and minorities. Congressmen, on condition of anonymity, said the reservation of the PCC delegate's post at the block level was sheer injustice and would act as a stumbling block when it comes to developing leadership at the grass-root level. What further added to their anxiety was the appointment of returning officers for electing the block Congress committees and the State delegates.

It was being said in Congress circles that even a cursory look at the list of BROs that was officially released on April 3 shows that once more the nominees of prominent State Congress leaders had been inducted as BROs and assigned the task of conducting the polls in their specific areas of influence. When contacted, many Congressmen asked the same question; "why in most cases, a single person had been appointed as BRO for conducting elections in as many as three to four blocks?"

They also expressed the hope that while revising the election schedule, the Congress High Command would also consider the proposal to appoint more BROs as well as assign new blocks to some of those who have already been appointed as BROs to ensure free and fair elections.

All preparations had been completed and the Block level Congress organisational elections in Madhya Pradesh were scheduled to commence on April 4. The MPCC spokesman, Manak Agrawal told The Hindu today that the decision to postpone the organisational elections due to the Dandi march was telephonically conveyed by Mr. Hanumanthappa on the midnight of April 3 and 4. A formal fax message in this regard was received yesterday morning.

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Postponement of party polls gives Congress a breather