 "Congress’ pick of Imran Pratapgarhi for Rajya Sabha polls angers partymen: Who is the 34-yr-old poet-turned-politician?")
The Congress’ list of 10 names for the Rajya Sabha elections, scheduled for 10 June, has left several leaders disappointed and causing more discontent in a party, which is already smarting from several exits and defections. On Sunday, the Congress announced candidates for the polls, fielding former Union ministers P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken as well as party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. In addition to these, Ranjeet Ranjan, Rajeev Shukla, Vivek Tankha, Imran Pratapgarhi, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari have also been nominated for the elections to the Upper House of Parliament. Several leaders questioned the thinking behind the Grand Old Party’s candidates — saying it did not reflect the optics of the recently-held Chintan Shivir in Udaipur. In fact, Pawan Khera, Congress’ feisty spokesperson put out a dejected tweet on Monday after his name was missing from the party’s nomination list.
‘शायद मेरी तपस्या में कुछ कमी रह गई’
— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 (@Pawankhera) May 29, 2022
He subsequently congratulated all his party colleagues who have been nominated. Maharashtra Congress leader Nagma also expressed her dismay on not being nominated. The actress-turned-politician hit out directly at Imran Pratapgarhi, the party’s minority cell leader who has been given a ticket from Maharashtra.
हमारी भी १८ साल की तपस्या कम पड़ गई इमरान भाई के आगे । https://t.co/8SrqA2FH4c
— Nagma (@nagma_morarji) May 29, 2022
In another tweet, Nagma said, “Sonia Ji, our Congress president had personally committed to accommodating me in RS in 2003/04 when I joined Congress party on her behest. We were not in power then. Since then it is been 18 years, they did not find an opportunity. Mr Imran is accommodated in RS from Maharashtra. I ask am I less deserving.” Nagma’s pointed tweet on being sidelined over Imran Pratapgarhi has put a lot of focus on the 34-year poet-turned-politician, who has been chosen from Maharashtra for the Rajya Sabha polls. Man at the centre of the storm Mohd Imran Khan, also known as Imran Pratapgarhi is a poet-turned-politician who joined the Congress in 2019. In 2016, Pratapgarhi was rewarded with a Yash Bharti, the highest civilian award by the Uttar Pradesh government, by the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party government. Prior to his political stint, Pratapgarhi made a name for himself through YouTube videos featuring his writings that were largely critical of the Narendra Modi government. It is reported that he was brought into the Congress fold by Rahul Gandhi and then became closer to Priyanka Gandhi. In 2020, he was rewarded for his loyalty to the Gandhis by being named the chairman of the party’s minority department. Pratapgarhi has gained notoriety in the party for his communal remarks. In the past, some of his speeches also came to the fore where he was heard telling a particular section of society that “if you have to die, then kill four-six and die”.
“Agar Marna Pade toh 4-6 ko maar kar marna”
— Monica Verma (@TrulyMonica) May 30, 2022
That’s Congress’s Rajya Sabha Nominee Imran Pratapgarhi for you.
Congress had other choices but it chose a communal hate monger. Speaks volumes about its preferences.pic.twitter.com/g1xAL8z0ES
Pratapgarhi’s candidature causes ire Congress leaders, both in Uttar Pradesh as well as Maharashtra, have voiced their dismay at the Congress’s choice of Pratapgarhi, questioning the merit of the candidate. A senior party leader was quoted as telling news agency IANS, “This 34-year-old (poet-turned-politician) joined the Congress in 2019 and is now being sent to the Rajya Sabha. His credentials and service to the party are doubtful. It was his communal campaigning due to which we lost an election in Bangarmau in Unnao. If the party has to send a Muslim leader (to Rajya Sabha), there are many veterans like Ghulam Nabi Azad, Salman Khurshid, Rashid Alvi and others.” A former state Congress president said that he was not even aware of who Imran Pratapgarhi is. In Maharashtra too, the party leaders were upset. As per a report by the Free Press Journal, former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan argued that Mukul Wasnik, who hails from Vidarbha region, should be nominated from Maharashtra instead of the party’s decision to field him from Rajasthan. And it wasn’t just party members who have voiced their unhappiness at Pratapgarhi’s selection. On social media too, a lot of questions were raised about him.
To be honest, Imran Pratapgarhi is the least deserving guy in a list full of non deserving people.
— Syed Kamran Husain (@kamranhusain_) May 29, 2022
We shall wait till 10 June to see what happens, but it seems that the anger within the party is going nowhere. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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