By IANS,
Raipur : Senior Congress leaders in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Chhattisgarh seem to be more keen to take possession of three choppers they got for campaigning than ensuring victory of the party candidates.
The party has provided three choppers to the state unit to help campaign for the state’s 11 Lok Sabha seats.
At least eight party leaders including state’s first chief minister Ajit Jogi, nine-time MP Vidya Charan Shukla and party’s state unit president Dhanendra Sahu, are claiming first use of the choppers.
“Presently, Jogi, Shukla and Sahu have been using the choppers but several other seniors have questioned this and advised (the) party that other seniors too should be given chance to use choppers,” party insiders told IANS.
Sources said a few seniors are planning to complain to union minister V. Narayanasamy – who is in charge of Chhattisgarh on behalf of the Congress – against alleged “hijack of party helicopters by certain leaders”.
Party insiders say that those leaders using the party choppers should campaign for all the party candidates, not just for their favourite candidates. The state goes to polls in the first phase April 16.
Political analysts say the Congress has a good chance to improve its tally from one to 5-6 seats if party leaders put up a united face.