Actor-turned-politician Nagma Morarji recently took to social media to express her disappointment over not being nominated by her party, Congress, for the Rajya Sabha elections scheduled for June ten. Expressing her angst over not being considered for the nominations, she tweeted that “Our 18 years of penance also fell short in front of Imran Bhai.” Imran Pratapgarhi, a poet and the head of the Congress' minority department, who belongs to Uttar Pradesh, was nominated by the party from Maharashtra, Nagma's home state.
In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Nagma says that she has been waiting patiently and working for the organisation for the last 18 years, during which time there have been opportunities when she could be accommodated.
Nagma, who is General Secretary of Mahila Congress and Vice President of Mumbai Congress, says she believes she has not done anything wrong by expressing her feelings on the issue. She also says that if she gets an opportunity to meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi, she will convey her feelings on the issue to her.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q. Your reaction on Twitter to the Congress' Rajya Sabha nominations conveyed you are disappointed at not getting nominated. Were you expecting to get nominated?
A. When I joined the Indian National Congress in 2003-04 at the behest of Sonia Gandhi ji, I had sought an assurance that I would be accommodated in the Rajya Sabha. Since then, I have worked at all levels in the party. I have been working in Mahila Congress as general secretary since 2015. I have been in charge of various states. I was a star campaigner for the party at the national level.
I contested the Lok Sabha elections from UP in 2014 and like many others, I lost because there was a Modi wave in the country.
Earlier too, I have been a successful actress and I have worked in nine languages in over a hundred movies due to which I am popular in several states.
Actors or people from my fraternity, get something the day they come to a party, whereas I have worked hard for so many years at different levels and have been committed to the party.
Q. Do you feel that the Rajya Sabha nominations go against the sentiment of the Udaipur Declaration?
A. At the Chintan Shivir, it was said that more youth and women should be given opportunities. However, while I understand that the party leadership has to take into account many things while deciding on Rajya Sabha nominations and one can understand when senior leaders have to be sent to the Rajya Sabha, there are many times when many other people have got the opportunity without putting in as much contribution. Then you feel that you could also have been given the opportunity.
In my case, the state-in-charges felt that since I joined the party at the behest of the Congress President, I should be directly talking to her. However, it is not always possible to put forth your claim before the leadership at the right time. Circumstances can be such that even when there is an opportunity, you are unable to reach out to the leadership and that can leave you disappointed. Also, I do not belong to any lobby.
Q. Why do you feel you failed to make the cut?
A. When the Congress won in 2004, I was offered the portfolio of women and child development in the union cabinet. But I could not take it up then because I had to complete my film commitments. For the last 18 years, I have been waiting patiently and working for the party and the organisation. During this time, there have been a few opportunities when I could have been accommodated barring the times when senior leaders had to be nominated. Unfortunately, I have not been a part of any lobby. State in charges keeps changing. The leadership is aware of your work, but it could be that I could not reach out at the right time when there was an opportunity.
Q. Do you plan to discuss your angst with the party leadership?
A. If I get an opportunity to meet the Congress President, I will convey my feelings on the issue to her. However, I want to emphasise that Sonia ji, Priyanka ji and Rahul ji have been extremely nice to me. They are genuinely concerned and well-meaning. I am very thankful to Rahul ji for streamlining many things in the party. I do not have any complaints on that front.
Q. To convey your feelings is being seen as suggesting desperation and hopelessness.
A. I don't think there is anything wrong with expressing my feelings. The word 'Tapasya' was a pun intended. I have been waiting patiently and working for the party. When there have been opportunities, there are others who are considered although they have not put in as many years of work into the party. There is nothing wrong with aspiring for a position that will give you more strength to be able to do more for the party. Based on the work done and my commitment to the party, I do feel that I am no less deserving.
Q. What is the road ahead?
A. Well, all said and done, this is not the end of the world. I will keep working for the people and standing up for the values I believe in.
