Chandigarh MC election: Rebel candidates a headache for parties - Hindustan Times
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Chandigarh MC election: Rebel candidates a headache for parties

By, Chandigarh
Dec 05, 2021 01:17 AM IST

Congress faces challenge from a number of rebel candidates who are contesting as Independents and at least 20 who have got the AAP ticket in the Chandigarh MC election

With a number of rebel candidates tossing their hat into the ring, an already multi-cornered contest has been thrown wide open as nominations for the Chandigarh municipal elections came to an end on Saturday.

Prem Pal Chauhan, one of the Congress rebel candidates, filing his nomination papers as an Independent from Ward No. 15 in Chandigarh MC election. (HT Photo)
Prem Pal Chauhan, one of the Congress rebel candidates, filing his nomination papers as an Independent from Ward No. 15 in Chandigarh MC election. (HT Photo)

After being denied the ticket, many office-bearers and party workers of the three main contenders — Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — have entered the fray either as Independent candidates or as nominees of rival parties.

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Traditionally a two-cornered contest between the BJP and Congress, the Chandigarh municipal elections are seeing a multi-cornered contest this time with even the AAP and Shiromani Akali Dal-Bahujan Samaj Party (SAD-BSP) combine in the fray. In such a scenario, the presence of rebel candidates could make a major difference in the fortunes of these parties.

“Even in the previous two-cornered fights, winning margins were in two digits at times. These rebel candidates are likely to hurt their parent parties, especially if the person has a strong track record in the ward. If they contest from the main rival party, it becomes all the more difficult for the parent party,” said a senior Congress leader, who didn’t want to be named. Even his wife was denied the party ticket.

Kamal Kumar, a former Congress office-bearer, joined the AAP a couple of days back and filed his nomination papers from Ward No. 3 on Saturday. He will take on Congress’ Ravi Thakur and BJP’s sitting councillor Daleep Sharma. “It is very disappointing that in the Congress, everything else but merit gets you the ticket,” said Kumar.

Hiral Lal, a former organisational secretary in the Congress, is contesting elections on the AAP ticket from Ward No. 24. He left his old party after his claim to the ticket was denied. Rajinder Kaur Panag, another Congress office-bearer and daughter of a former Mahila Congress president, joined the SAD on Friday and filed her nomination papers from Ward No. 18 on Saturday.

Prem Pal Chauhan, another former organisational secretary, is contesting as an Independent candidate from Ward No. 15. “The ticket is not an issue. How the Congress is being run is what made me leave it. Till the last moment, I was assured that I would be given the ticket. There are 15 rebel candidates contesting as Independents. We will be supporting each other,” he said.

Former Congress state general secretary Shashi Shankar Tewari, who resigned after his wife was denied ticket, said: “We will oppose Congress candidates in all wards. Tickets have not been distributed on merit and dedicated workers have been ignored. Many senior Congress functionaries are contesting as rebel candidates, and we will be holding a joint press conference on Sunday.”

Not just these Independent candidates, the Congress is also facing a challenge from at least 20 former members who are contesting on the AAP ticket. “Most of these people left the Congress with former party president Pardeep Chhabra. They have been given tickets, and now will cut into the traditional voter base,” said Tewari.

BJP, AAP face challenge too

The ruling BJP is also facing challenge from its own former party functionaries. Narendra Pal Chaudhary, state coordinator, Swach Bharat Vibhag, and a former member of the SC Morcha national executive committee, has filed papers as an Independent candidate. “I have served the party dedicatedly for so many years, but the local unit totally ignored my efforts. The party has put up a candidate in Ward No. 26, who is not even popular there.”

Manpreet Kaur, the wife of BJP national Kissan Morcha member and two-time Daria sarpanch Gurpreet Singh Happy, is also unhappy with ticket distribution and is contesting as an Independent from Ward No. 9. Another long-time party worker, Yashpal Singh Yadav, is contesting as a rebel candidate from Ward No. 27.

Kripanand Thakur, a district secretary and party member of over two decades who enjoys strong support in Hallomajra, also filed his nomination from Ward No. 20 as a rebel candidate.

Fighting its first municipal poll, even the AAP will face competition from its rebel candidates. Sahil Chawar, founder member of the party’s city unit and youth state general secretary, is contesting as an Independent candidate from Ward No. 4.

Former party member Farman Ansari is in the fray from Ward No. 3. Reema Mahajan, who is the wife of former senior AAP functionary Jagdeep, filed nomination papers as a SAD candidate on Saturday.

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