MANDSAUR: The race for tickets has started in
Congress for assembly segments in Mandsaur and nearby districts. AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s public rally in Pipliamandi gave opportunity to the party ticket aspirants to declare their intentions with posters and banners; albeit it is yet to be known the volume of crowd each would garner for the rally - a precondition for tickets set by AICC secretary incharge Sanjay Kapoor at a party meeting in Pipliamandi on May 24.
“Show your might. Let those who get more people to Rahulji’s rally get tickets; those who failed to do so will understand why they did not,” Kapoor had announced.
Mandsaur and Pipliamandi are dotted with posters prominently carrying the image of ticket aspirants beneath the photographs of the party leaders they follow, a day before Rahul’s rally. The posters specifically mention the assembly segments that they wish to represent.
A rough estimate suggests that 50,000 sq ft of posters have been printed in Mandsaur alone, in last five days. “Congress leaders have spent over Rs 3 lakh on posters,” Sunil Shinde, a flex poster manufacturer told TOI.
The posters clearly represent how the leaders align themselves.
Rajendra Singh Gautam, who was recently included in Congress state coordination committee sparking revolt in former MP Meenakshi Natarajan’s camp, prominently carried photographs of party campaign committee head Jyotiraditya Scindia and party state president
Kamal Nath - the former believed to be his mentor.
Gautam did not feature in any of the posters carrying photograph of Natarajan, whose posters carried the slogans on Congress cause for farmers.
Malhargarh had multiple contestants like
Parshuram Sisodia and
Ganpatlal Panwar - former carried photograph of Natarajan and others, while the latter stuck with Gautam and his mentors.
Mangesh Sanghai struck claims for Manasa, Bhopal Singh Solanki for Neemuch; Kishan Singh Pavati clearly mentioned his choice of assembly segment no. 227 (Garoth/Bhanpura); Samandar Patel, who stays in Indore, but hails from Javad, has sought his native assembly segment - each trying to show their might to observers appointed by Kapoor to record the performance in each assembly segment.
Congress leaders find the contest a method to select the right candidate. “Though it is party’s internal matter, why should the supporter base of ticket aspirants not be tested. Who would give tickets to someone who does not have a standing in his area?” Congress state working president Jeetu Patwari said.
The posters and banners occupied most of the two-km stretch of road from the Mandsaur-Neemuch highway to the Rajiv Gandhi College, where Rahul is expected to address farmers. “More than 50 per cent of posters could not be put up. There is nothing on either side of the road,” said Babloo Patidar, a party worker toiling to unload a poster from a small truck.
Larger posters had to be sliced at places to allow strong winds to pass. “Or else these will fall,” said Patidar.
Shinde, whose unit was working tirelessly for last couple of days to get the orders out, said, “We have orders for smaller size posters, which can be installed without much support. This seems to be the start of election season.”
