'Am I less deserving': Actor-turned-politician Nagma reacts after Congress denies her Rajya Sabha seat

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Actor-turned-politician Nagma on Monday (May 30) expressed her discontent over not getting a berth in the Rajya Sabha. Taking to Twitter, 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, and they did not find an opportunity. Mr Imran is accommodated in RS from Maharashtra. I ask am I less deserving."

The actor-turned-politician further said, "Our 18 years of penance also fell short in front of Imran Bhai." Pratapgarhi, the party`s minority department chairperson and a poet from Uttar Pradesh, has been fielded from Maharashtra.

SoniaJi our Congress president had personally committed to accommodating me in RS in 2003/04 whn I joined Congressparty on her behest we weren’t in power thn.Since then it’s been 18Yrs they dint find an opportunity Mr Imran is accommodated in RS frm Maha I ask am I less deserving — Nagma (@nagma_morarji) May 30, 2022

On Sunday, the Congress party announced the names of 10 candidates from seven states for the Rajya Sabha elections. The names of many prominent leaders are missing from the list leading to voices of dissatisfaction rising in the party.

Randeep Singh Surjewala, Mukul Wasnik and Pramod Tiwari have been made candidates from Rajasthan. All these three leaders do not belong to Rajasthan. Congress MLA from Sirohi in Rajasthan, Sanyam Lodha raised the question of why no one has been nominated from Rajasthan. Lodha tweeted, "The Congress party should tell what is the reason for not making any Congress leader/worker from Rajasthan, a candidate in the Rajya Sabha elections?" 

Pawan Kheda, who hails from Rajasthan, was a contender for Rajya Sabha in Congress, but his name is also not included in the list. He too tweeted, "Maybe there is something missing in my penance." 

The Congress opted for apparently lightweight candidates like Imran Pratapgarhi and Ranjeet Ranjan for the Rajya Sabha polls, contrary to speculation about accommodating veterans Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma. 

Reacting to the list, co-incharge of Gujarat Congress Jitendra Baghel asked on Twitter: "Would you tell us how many of these candidates are from OBC/SC/ST?"

Chidambaram, Ramesh, Maken, Surjewala among 10 Cong candidates 

The Congress on Sunday announced 10 candidates for the June 10 Rajya Sabha polls, fielding former Union ministers P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh and Ajay Maken, as well as the party's chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

The list includes two leaders -- former Union minister Mukul Wasik (Rajasthan) and Vivek Tankha (Madhya Pradesh) -- who were among the group of 23 leaders who had written to Congress president Sonia Gandhi in 2020 seeking large scale organisational overhaul.

G-23 leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, who were speculated to be on the list, could not make the cut. The G-23 has weakened over time with senior leader M Veerappa Moily distancing himself from the group, Jitin Prasada joining the BJP, Sibal quitting the party and Wasnik not attending its meetings in recent times.

Chidambaram has been fielded from Tamil Nadu, Ramesh from Karnataka, Maken from Haryana and Surjewala from Rajasthan, according to the list released by the party. The Congress also fielded Pramod Tiwari from Rajasthan, former Union minister Rajeev Shukla and Ranjeet Ranjan from Chhattisgarh and Imran Pratapgarhi from Maharashtra.

Of the 10 leaders, five are former Union ministers -- Chidambaram, Ramesh, Maken, Shukla and Wasnik. Three belong to Uttar Pradesh -- Shukla, Tiwari and Imran Pratapgarhi, who is also the head of the minority cell of the Congress. 

Of the 55 vacancies arising in the Rajya Sabha in the next two months, seven Congress members -- Chidambaram (Maharashtra), Ramesh (Karnataka), Ambika Soni (Punjab), Tankha (Madhya Pradesh), Pradeep Tamta (Uttarakhand), Kapil Sibal (Uttar Pradesh) and Chhaya Verma (Chhattisgarh) -- will be completing their terms.

The Congress is likely to get 10 Rajya Sabha seats in the upcoming election cycle. The party is also likely to gain three seats in the Upper House if it manages to get all the three seats that are falling vacant in Rajasthan, while it will get two seats in Chhattisgarh, where it is in power. The party will get one seat each in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, where it shares power with other like-minded parties.

It is likely to get one seat each in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka on the strength of its MLAs in these states. Three-time Rajya Sabha member Jairam Ramesh is set to get a fourth term from Karnataka.

Gandhis can't see beyond their coterie: BJP flays Congress

The BJP hits out at Congress over its Rajya Sabha nominations and said the Gandhis can`t see beyond their coterie, claiming that the Congress has disappointed its Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh (both election-bound) and Maharashtra units by denying nominations to locals for the Rajya Sabha.

In-charge of BJP`s National Information and Technology Department, Amit Malviya tweeted, "The Chintan Shivir clearly didn`t serve any purpose. Soon after, Congress saw high profile exits. Now it has disappointed it`s Rajasthan, Chattisgarh (both election-bound) and Maharashtra units by denying nomination to locals for RS. The Gandhis can`t see beyond their coterie."

The Chintan Shivir clearly didn’t serve any purpose. Soon after, Congress saw high profile exits. Now it has disappointed it’s Rajasthan, Chattisgarh (both election bound) and Maharashtra units by denying nomination to locals for RS.

The Gandhis can’t see beyond their coterie. — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 30, 2022

"Congress couldn`t find a single capable person from Rajasthan to represent it in Rajya Sabha? Has Ashok Gehlot pawned Rajasthan`s interest to the Gandhis so that he can continue to remain the Chief Minister? This is an insult to the people of Rajasthan," Malviya added.

Elections will be held on June 10 to fill 57 Rajya Sabha seats from 15 states falling vacant due to the retirement of members on different dates between June and August. The last date for filing nominations is May 31.

(Inputs from Agencies)