MP: Despite Congress's 'one-family-one-ticket' rule, 4 families get multiple tickets
The Congress has given tickets to multiple members from four families to run in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections despite its "one-family, one-ticket" policy outlined in the Udaipur declaration in May 2022, Hindustan Times reported. Following this, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has accused the Congress of "nepotism." The grand old party is reportedly looking to secure 150 seats in the 230-member assembly in Madhya Pradesh, where it lost power to the BJP in 2020.
Families with multiple tickets
Per HT, three tickets each have been granted to the families of Rajya Sabha member and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and MP's opposition leader Govind Singh. Additionally, late former CM Arjun Singh's son Ajay Singh and his brother-in-law Rajendra Singh have also been nominated. Sena Patel and his brother-in-law Mukesh Patel are also running for office as Congress candidates. Meanwhile, the party has referred to the Udaipur declaration's exception, pointing out all these nominees have dedicated years of service.
Age distribution of Congress candidates
On the other hand, the Congress's state media in charge, KK Mishra, reportedly emphasized that the party only prioritized winnability, adding it valued every politically committed individual. This time, approximately 57% of the Congress candidates are over 50 years old, while the remaining 43% (99 candidates) fall into a younger age bracket. Interestingly, the party has committed to allocating a minimum of 50% of its tickets to candidates aged under 50 years in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
BJP adheres to one-family, one-ticket norm
In contrast, Madhya Pradesh's ruling BJP claimed to have adhered to its one-family, one-ticket principle, even denying a ticket to lawmaker Akash Vijayvargiya after nominating his father, Kailash Vijayvargiya. The party has also chosen Gopal Bhargava, Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar, MP Home Minister Narottam Mishra, and former lawmaker Jayant Kumar Malaiya while excluding their children. Moreover, BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said their party was "disciplined" and opposed nepotism, adding, "We are not like the Congress which changes rules."
More about Congress's Udaipur declaration
At the Congress's Udaipur Chintan Shivir meeting in May 2022, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), led by Sonia Gandhi, endorsed organizational reform measures, including the implementation of the "one-family, one-ticket" rule. The committee also accepted a proposal to ensure people aged below 50 years are represented at all levels, including in the CWC. However, it was decided that sons/daughters/other relatives of Congress leaders, who want to run for office, should have served the party for at least five years.
