Former union minister K K Tewary demands Bihar Cong in-charge Shaktisinh Gohil's resignation

Accusing Congress in-charge of Bihar affairs Shaktisinh Gohil of taking money for giving party tickets in the assembly elections, former union minister K K Tewary on Tuesday demanded Gohil's resignation and a probe against him.

Accusing Congress in-charge of Bihar affairs Shaktisinh Gohil of taking money for giving party tickets in the assembly elections, former union minister K K Tewary on Tuesday demanded Gohil's resignation and a probe against him. In a letter addressed to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Tewary asserted that party's poll prospect in Bihar was good but his (Gohil's) "shabby deal" with the RJD might harm its chance.

Gohil could not be contacted for his reaction. "I demand immediate resignation of Shaktisinh Gohil as Bihar in-charge. His record of managing party affairs in Bihar has been marked with a dubious agenda which is harming the prospect of the party in the elections," Tewary told PTI.

Expressing his displeasure over not being consulted on any issue including distribution of tickets, Tewary said, "His arbitrary selection of party candidates and hostility towards some senior Congress leaders of the state leave much to be desired." Tewary was a two-time Member of Parliament from Buxar in Bihar in 1980 and 1984 and was a Union minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government. "Ever since this man (Gohil) has taken over as in- charge of Bihar Congress, his method of working is opaque and non transparent," the senior Congress leader said.

Under seat-sharing deal in the Mahagathbandhan, Congress got 70 seats out of total 243 seats in the state assembly. Tewary, however, said the RJD has given those seats to the Congress where neither of the two parties has ever won.

Tewary urged the Congress high command to order an inquiry by senior leaders into the handling of the party's affairs in Bihar by Gohil.