Special Invitee to the Congress Working Committee M.V. Rajasekharan, who had earlier urged the high command to set up a coordination committee in the State, now wants party president Sonia Gandhi to strengthen the all-important Ethics Committee in the AICC to evaluate ticket aspirants.
In a letter, the former Union Minister said that the Ethics Committee, headed by the former Union Minister and MP Karan Singh, should be given enough power to stop party workers with criminal backgrounds, especially those convicted by courts, from contesting parliamentary and Assembly elections as well as in nominations and appointments to important posts in the government.
The Congress MLC, on whose suggestion the party is constituting two committees — one to coordinate between the KPCC and the Siddaramaiah government and the other to implement the party manifesto, said that the Ethics Committees should be created in pradesh Congress committees and district Congress committees in all the States. Drawing Ms. Sonia Gandhi’s attention to the recent Supreme Court judgment banning those convicted from contesting elections, he said that the party leaders with impeccable integrity and clean public image should be appointed to the Ethics Committee.
Mr. Rajasekharan has written identical letters to other party leaders, including Rahul Gandhi. He has said that the oldest political party should keep criminals masquerading as politicians at bay.