Miffed over ticket allocation for civic polls, Cong MLA quits

Gujarat Congress MLA ImranKhedawala on Monday tendered his resignation to state partypresident Amit Chavda to express displeasure over ticketallocation in award under his Assembly segment in Ahmedabadfor the upcoming municipal corporation elections.

State Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi saidKhedawala submitted his resignation from the party to Chavdabut it was not accepted.

Talking to reporters, Khedawala said he is unhappywith the way tickets were given to Congress candidates in theBehrampura ward of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) thatfalls under his Assembly constituency Jamalpur-Khadia.

A civic ward has four seats and a party can fieldthose many candidates.

''In addition to tickets given to four candidates fromthe Behrampura ward under myconstituency, the party gavemandate to two more candidates separately.

''I told the (GPCC) president (Chavda) that this is notdone as this shows lack of discipline in the party. The partyshould not doinjustice to dedicated workers in my Assemblyconstituency,'' the opposition legislator told reporters.

''To make my point, I submitted my resignation,'' hesaid.

Doshi admitted the Congress MLA is unhappy over ticketdistribution.

''Imran Khedawala met state president Amit Chavda andthe leader of the opposition in the Assembly Paresh Dhanani,and expressed his displeasure over allocation of mandate tocandidates in the Behrampura ward under his constituency.

''He submitted his resignation to the state partypresident, but it has not been accepted,'' Doshi said.

Dhanani said the party will look into the issuesraised by the MLA.

''We heard his viewpoints and took them intoconsideration. If we find that injustice has been done toparty workers, then in coming days, the party will ensurethese workers are given special responsibility with fullrespect.

''With this, the party has turned down hisresignation,'' said Dhanani.

The party's seniorleadership had earlier in the daycalled Khedawala for a meeting.

Khedawala said he wanted to know if someone fromwithin the party played some kind of mischief in allocation oftickets to candidates.

Elections to six municipal corporation bodies,including Ahmedabad, are scheduled on February 21 and resultswill be declared on February 23.

The last date for submission of nomination forms bycandidates was Saturday (February 6).