Ranjit Deshmukh demands AICC action for Nagpur debacle

Nagpur, Feb 5 (UNI) Alleging large-scale ''underhand dealings'' in the distribution of Congress tickets for the recent civic elections in Nagpur, former Maharashtra minister Ranjit Deshmukh today urged the Congress leadership to initiate action against those responsible for the party's debacle there.

Speaking to reporters here, he alleged that huge amounts of money had changed hands while issuing Congress tickets for the February 1 civic elections in Nagpur.

''The AICC should take action against Union Minister of State for Non-Conventional Energy Sources Vilas Muttemwar, who is also the MP from Nagpur, district guardian minister Satish Chaturvedi, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Vice President Prabhavati Oza and General Secretary Nitin Deshpande for the party's debacle in Nagpur'', Mr Deshmukh said.

He alleged that Ms Oza and Mr Deshpande were directly responsible for the confusion that was created due to the multiple authorisation for the use of the party's official symbol in several wards.

Referring to Mr Muttemwar and Mr Chaturvedi, he alleged the two were treating the party as their personal fiefdom and had given tickets to the candidates of their choice.

Mr Deshmukh said that party activists, who had worked against him when he contested from the Nagpur West constituency in the 2004 assembly elections, were given tickets for the civic polls.

UNI