Congress seals escape route as edgy candidates seek safer seats

NEW DELHI: With a procession of its MPs wary of taking the field, Congress has decided not to accept pleas for change of constituencies, fearing that largescale shift can only reinforce the perception of the party being on a sticky wicket.

The decision comes at a time when more Congress leaders seem disinclined to contest or are seeking a change of constituency. Those who have sought change of constituencies include former Union minister C P Joshi, Rajasthan unit chief Sachin Pilot and Union minister for culture Chandresh Kumari Katoch.

Sources said Joshi, who won from Bhilwara, wants to shift to Jaipur Rural, while Pilot wants to shift from Ajmer to Sawai Madhopur — a desire which has put him on a collision course with former CM Ashok Gehlot. Gehlot wants Sawai Madhopur for his son.

Interestingly, Ajmer is also being sought by former India captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Azharuddin had demanded a change of his Moradabad constituency and had his way with the party leadership slotting him for the Muslim-dominated Barasat in West Bengal. However, he does not find the new pitch to be safe enough and would like to shift to Ajmer.

As already reported, finance minister P Chidambaram is reluctant to contest his Sivaganga seat and there are indications that the party may finally come around to accept his wish that the ticket be given to his son, Karti.

Chidambaram's colleague in the Manomhan Singh government, culture minister Katoch is looking to exit Jodhpur which she currently represents as the seat, like most Rajasthan constituencies, appears hostile for Congress after BJP's emphatic return to office in last year's assembly polls.

Katoch is the sister of Jodhpur's maharaja and former MP Gaj Singh, the reason why she contested from the seat in the last election. But she is now understood to be keen on moving to Kangra in Himachal Pradesh as she is married into the royal house of the erstwhile hill kingdom.

If Katoch finds Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh a safer haven, Joshi is feeling the heat too and is understood to be eyeing options like Jaipur Rural. The former minister has had a mixed electoral record, having once lost the assembly election from Nathdwara by one vote.

Nagaur MP Jyoti Mirdha was also understood to be keen to shift but has been asked to stick to the seat. Interestingly, the constituency is considered to be a Jat bastion while she is the grand-daughter of late Nathu Ram Mirdha, one of Congress's tallest leaders of the community from Rajasthan.

Among those not too keen to contest is former Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna who was recently replaced by former water resources minister Harish Rawat.