A controversy has erupted within the leaders of Congress party in poll-bound Rajasthan over a video in which party leader Archana Sharma, who is said to be in the race to get a party ticket, is purportedly speaking about a party "rival" striking up a “Rs 40-crore deal” to “stop her”.
Sharma, who is the chairperson of the Social Welfare Board, told news agency PTI that she has not named anyone in the video.
In the video, Sharma purportedly told a group of people that a “rival within the party” held a meeting with her “rival”, indirectly referring to the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party MLA from Malviya Nagar constituency. BJP MLA Kalicharan Saraf has been the sitting MLA from Malaviya Nagar seat since 2008.
“When my rival felt that he was losing, he thought of making an alliance with my rival within the party, and both had a meeting in a hotel. But walls have ears. It came out that a deal worth Rs 40 crore has been made. Such a big deal to stop me,” Sharma is seen to be saying.
After the video surfaced online, Congress leader Rajiv Arora made a veiled attack at Sharma, saying, “You can never win by playing dirty” while the latter said Arora was targeting her due to a “misunderstanding”.
Arora, who is also eyeing a ticket from the Malviya Nagar assembly constituency, is said to be lobbying in Delhi ahead of the announcement of the list of candidates.
“You can never win by playing dirty. Karma is real. You reap what you sow. The ill-will of taking ticket even after losing twice is hurting the Congress party from Malviya Nagar," he said in a post on X after the video emrged.
“Rajiv Arora is like my elder brother. I did not name anyone. When he contested the election from this seat, I supported him. He should also support me,” said Sharma.