Mumbai, Feb 2: Criticising the way the party candidates were finalised for the BMC polls, Congress MP Priya Dutt today said that she was kept in dark about the selection process in her constituency.
“I consider it an insult as an MP because the list of candidates in my constituency was not revealed to me till the last minute and kept confidential,” she told reporters.
She said she was an MP and the Mumbai Regional Congress Chief (Kripashankar Singh) was an MLA from Kalina which falls in her constituency indicating that she ought to have been consulted before finalising candidates.
Priya, daughter of late Sunil Dutt, however, refuted speculations that she was contemplating to resign as an MP.
“There is no question of resignation. But, I will continue to fight for the rights of the ordinary party worker,” she added.
Over 5000 Party workers from her North Central Mumbai constituency converged at her residence in Bandra yesterday and shouted slogans against Mumbai unit chief Kripashankar Singh and Textile Minister Arif Mohammed Naseem Khan, an MLA from Kurla which falls in her Lok Sabha constituency.
Vile Parle MLA Krishna Hegde and Bandra MLA Baba Siddique were among those present along with Priya when she met party workers.
Party sources said she was miffed that she was not consulted or informed about the replacements in three wards where Congress had won in the last election.
Priya has communicated her stand to the party high command, sources said.
Meanwhile, Ajit Sawant, the MRCC general secretary who was suspended along with three-time corporator Vidyarthi Singh for alleging irregularities in ticket distribution, came out in support of Priya Dutt.
He said Sada Sarvankar, who joined Congress in 2009 after leaving Shiv Sena has been favoured and his son given ticket while in the ward no 208, the candidate was an NCP worker who joined Congress just four days ago.
