Family Dispute Explore in Vallabhnagar By-Election Ticket

Devendra Singh Shaktawat’s announce – If ‘Preeti Shaktawat’ gets a ticket, he will leave the party and contest as an independent

Udaipur: The date of Vallabhnagar constituency by polls have not yet been announced but the family feud for the ticket is out in the open. Dehat District Congress Committee vice-president and former municipal Chairman of Bhinder Devendra Singh Shaktawat has levied serious allegations against Preeti Singh Shaktawat wife of Late Gajendra Singh for tarnishing the image of Congress party in  Vallabhnagar constituency. In a letter to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, he has expressed his dissent over giving undue importance to Priti Kunwar and being projected as the likely candidate of Congress party for the forthcoming Vallabhangar by-polls.  

He said he is open to Congress nominating a candidate who follows the ideals and principles of Gulab Singh Shaktawat. If the party gives a ticket to a wrong candidate then he will be forced to leave the Congress party and contest the elections as an independent candidate. Devendra Singh while addressing a press conference on Monday made this statement. Many senior Congress workers including Block President Bhinder Dr. Kamalendra Singh Bemla, Block President Vallabhnagar Sunil Kukra, City President Bhinder Puran Vyas were also present in the press conference.

Shaktawat said that he is a loyal, dedicated worker of the Congress family. His father Gulab Singh Shaktawat, freedom fighter and former home minister of Rajasthan government, has been a pillar of this constituency. Vallabhnagar constituency was the homeground of his father till his last breath and his decades of hard work without any malice had brought the party in Vallbhnagar to the fore. After the death of his father, the party expressed confidence in the Shaktawat family and his younger brother Gajendra Singh Shaktawat was made the Congress representative in 2008. The loyal Congress workers worked hard to keep the Congress on top position but of late there is dip in Congress Party’s popularity in Vallabhnagar constituency.

The party had to face defeat in the 2013 assembly elections and in the 2018 elections, despite the strong wave of the Congress party in the state the party could get only 30 percent votes in the Vallabhnagar constituncy. Congress won the election, but since then the senior party functionary and loyal worker always felt cheated. In the Panchayati Raj Elections 2020, the Congress party had to face a crushing defeat of 5 out of 6 Zilla Parishad members. The party could not appoint a chairperson in the 3 Panchayat Samitis seats. In the urban body elections, the party lost badly due to rigging in the distribution of tickets. Also, in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party had to face defeat by more than 80,000 votes due to the rigging.

He alleged that monthly recovery is being made by the congress representatives from around 150 fair price shops in Vallabhnagar region, due to which common man, poor and working class face many difficulties in getting ration. In the year 2018, Gajendra Singh had openly supported the attempt to topple the government for the sake of personal interest. This dented the sentiments of the loyal workers of the Congress party and the office bearers of the organization. During this turmoil havan yagyas were performed by the workers at the shrines to save the government, in which unrestrained statements were made in the media against the Chief Minister by the Priti Shaktwat. This resulted in setback and feeling of anger among the loyal congress workers.

In the Panchayati Raj elections, the tickets of Panchayat Samiti and Zilla Parishad members were distributed after a deal with loyal workers. There were no regular public hearings by the Late MLA and the allegation of transfers of officers done through deals resulted in anger among the workers. In the year 2015, the Bhinder Panchayat Samiti President elected by the Congress was removed by conspiring with the opposition party. The elected Panchayat Samiti members of the Congress were misled and made the head of the opposition party, due to which the common people and Congress workers had to face humiliation. As a result, many Congressmen, including the then Block Congress President Meghraj Soni left the party and joined another party.

Shaktawat added that in 2018, Late Gajendra Singh tried to topple the state government. During those two-year tenure most of the time he was and the party related tasks were looked after by his wife Preeti Kunwar. During this period many officers have accused her of alleged extortion.

Panchayat elections and urban body elections were held under the leadership of Preeti Kunwar, it is alleged that the tickets distributed in the area were sold, due to which the congress party had to face a huge defeat in the entire election. He alleged that Preeti Shaktawat has been instrumental in tarnishing the party’s credibility and vote percentage continuously since 2008, If the Congress party makes her the candidate for forthcoming by-election, then it will be an injustice to the loyal workers of the party and Congress may have to face severe consequences. Devendra in a letter to the Chief Minister, said that his aim is not to become an MLA, but to serve the public and make the Vallabhnagar assembly corruption-free. The is not opposing any individual, but the system. He claimed that if the CM finds it appropriate to discuss and provides time there are more secrets that cannot be discussed and revealed.