Senior Cong leaders hit out at Maken over ticket distribution

A group of 'disgruntled' senior Congress leaders today hit out at Delhi party chief Ajay Maken over "irregularities" in ticket distribution for the upcoming MCD polls.
"We are angry with the system of ticket distribution. Ajay Maken who is the president is responsible since he decides everything on his own," Mangat Ram Singhal, minister under the former Shiela Dikshit regime, said.
Addressing the media at Rajya Sabha MP Parvez Hashmi's residence here, he said the party leaders were "dissatisfied" with the ticket distribution for the April 23 polls, and will approach Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi in this regard.

Another senior leader A K Walia had also threatened to quit the party over the issue.
Sources said that many other senior party leaders, who had raised similar concerns, did not turn up for the meeting.
The party leaders, who did not wish to be named, complained that Maken did not consult them in the ticket distribution process and "humiliated" them by not meeting them or picking up their phones.

"I called him several times, but could not talk to him. It is not just a matter of deciding who distributes the tickets, the question is of party's future in Delhi," a Congress leader stated.

The Delhi Congress has adopted an elaborate process of candidate selection for the civic polls. Feedback of nearly 39,000 booth level workers have been taken to zero in on the candidates.
Maken's critics also claimed that the process of ticket distribution was "bypassed" and "favourites" of the Delhi Congress leadership were chosen to contest the upcoming polls.
"Four family members of a party leader have been given tickets. There are also complaints of use of money which needs to be clarified by Maken," Singhal added.