Dalit ‘split’ shows up in Cong

They feel that Chamar forming only 7% of SCs are being given more weightage in the party and also offered important posts ignoring the Vankars.

The revolt surfaced after the party nominated Pravin Rashtrapal,who belongs to the Chamar sub-caste,for Rajya Sabha for a second term.

A week ago,Vankar community leaders sent a letter to the central leadership,expressing their unhappiness over treatment meted out to them by the party. They said that BJP,instead,had given more weightage to the Vankars owing to their larger share in the SC population,as a result of which Vankars were gradually shifting their political loyalty to the saffron party. Vankar leaders said such an attitude of the Congress leaders does not send a good message to this section of voters.

There are many Chamar members who have been given important positions in the party or nominated in the board and corporations,even as there were equally or more competent candidates among the Vankars,they said.

While most Congress Vankar leaders refused to come on record,former minister Karsandas Soneri said the reports reaching him from the community suggest that they felt being neglected by the party.

“Renomination of Pravin Rashtrapal has not sent a good message among the Vankars,” said Soneri,adding that earlier Raju Parmar,a Chamar,was nominated for RS for three terms and now Rashtrapal for two terms.