The Congress has come up with a plan to overcome its “resource crunch” in Madhya Pradesh, where it has been out of power for 15 years.
Those who seek nomination for the Assembly elections will have to make out a demand draft for ₹50,000 in non-refundable deposit. But this is no guarantee for nomination.
Speaking to The Hindu, Pradesh Congress Committee president Arun Yadav said the proposal was under consideration and this rule would not be applied to leaders with strong grassroots links if they did not have the sum.
The party will invite applications between March 5 and 15. But some leaders say the plan may allow those with money to edge out the weak but deserving candidates. “Finally, the party will choose candidates on merit and their chances of victory, but this will help to weed out non-serious players,” said a senior leader in New Delhi.
Another leader said the same system was followed in Himachal Pradesh, though the amount was lower: ₹25,000 for the general category seats and ₹15,000 for the reserved seats. Nearly 400 candidates had applied for nomination from 68 seats.
The Congress in Madhya Pradesh hopes to mount a strong challenge to the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government. Anti-incumbency apart, Mr. Chouhan is facing opposition from farmers, especially after the police firing that killed five farmers at Mandsaur last June. In the recent bypoll, the party put up a united face, overcoming factionalism, a problem for long. It has so far not announced a CM candidate, despite pressure on the central leadership.
