MP Congress Chief Seeks RS Nomination for Sonia from State

Mr Patwari’s call for RS nomination for Ms Gandhi from MP comes in the wake of talks making rounds in the party circles here that Congress veteran and former chief minister Kamal Nath has been lobbying hard with the high command to go to the RS in the ensuing biennial polls.

“All the Congressmen in the state including senior leaders Digvijay Singh and Kamal Nath want Sonia ji to go to RS from MP. It would be an honour for the state to send her to RS. Besides, she would give a voice to Madhya Pradesh (in the parliament) if she is elected to RS from the state”, Mr Patwari said.

Replying to a question by the media here as to if the call for RS nomination for Ms Gandhi from MP is a ploy to foil the reported move by Mr Nath to go to the upper house in the polls, Mr Patwari said, “Mr Nath is a senior leader and respected by us. If he is keen to go to the Rajya Sabha, then we will back his candidature”.

Mr Patwari however hastened to add that there is no rumbling in the party over nomination for RS from MP.

“It is only a rumour being spread by our rival party (BJP)”, he said.

Significantly, Mr Nath is going to host a dinner for all the Congress MLAs in the state here on Tuesday.

Mr Nath’s ‘dinner diplomacy’ comes two days ahead of the beginning of filing of nomination for the biennial polls on February 15.

Sources said that Mr Nath may declare his candidature for the RS polls on the occasion after a nod to his nomination by the AICC leadership.

A senior Congress functionary, requesting anonymity, disclosed to this newspaper that Mr Nath had called on Ms Gandhi at Delhi on February eight to discuss the issue.

But, it is yet to be ascertained what transpired in the meeting.

Five RS seats in MP are going to polls on February 27.

While ruling BJP is in a position to retain four seats, Congress is in a comfortable position to send a nominee to the RS in the polls.