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Congress gets Chandigarh as Lok Sabha seat-deal sealed with AAP
Former MP Pawan Bansal, Chandigarh Congress chief HS Lucky and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari are among the front-runners for the lone Lok Sabha seat from Chandigarh
The Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress forged a seat-sharing pact on Saturday, jointly deciding that the latter will contest the sole Lok Sabha seat in Chandigarh with the backing of the former.
Having wrested the Chandigarh mayoral polls from BJP’s grasp with their maiden cooperation, although after a hard-fought legal battle, the two key constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc also announced to contest the elections together from Delhi, Haryana, Goa and Gujarat.
But the parties did not stitch up an alliance in Punjab, where they are arch-rivals.
“After a long discussion, it was decided that the Congress will contest the Chandigarh seat from the INDIA bloc and the AAP will support it in the elections,” said Congress general secretary and MP Mukul Wasnik at a press conference in Delhi.
“We thank the AAP leadership for considering our demand and for supporting the Congress in Chandigarh for the general elections. We also thank the Congress leadership for reaching the agreement with other parties. After the mayoral polls, we will fight together again to defeat the BJP in the Lok Sabha polls,” said Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky.
Hailing the decision, senior Congress leader and former Chandigarh MP Pawan Kumar Bansal said it was important for the people of Chandigarh, as the city had lagged behind by many years in terms of development. “Now, before voting, the people of Chandigarh have to think whether they want to take the City Beautiful forward or backward like the development, which has been stalled for the last 10 years. It is worth noting that the people of Chandigarh have witnessed the murder of democracy and abuse of power by the BJP in the last few days, after which the real face of the BJP is also in front of everyone.”
Chandigarh AAP co-in-charge Dr SS Ahluwalia said the INDIA bloc was united against the saffron party and ready to once again give a strong blow to the BJP just like the mayoral polls.
Ticket race hots up
Earlier this month, as many as six Congress leaders had filled the application forms, expressing their intent to contest the Lok Sabha elections from Chandigarh. The local unit thereon shortlisted three top contenders for the ticket: four-time MP and former Union minister Pawan Bansal, 76; Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky; and Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari, 58.
Though Tewari had not filled the application form, his name was recommended by the Chandigarh unit of the party.
“The names of the shortlisted candidates have been submitted to the party high command and after deliberations, the high command will announce the candidate for the Chandigarh seat,” said a senior Congress leader in the city.
If Bansal gets another run, he will be vying for the Chandigarh seat for the ninth consecutive time since 1991. While he won four times, he lost to BJP’s Satya Pal Jain twice in the 90s and to BJP’s Kirron Kher in the last two elections (2014 and 2019).
Can INDIA bloc give tough fight to BJP
AAP made its debut in Chandigarh in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, where its candidate Gul Panag was placed third. The AAP candidate ate into Congress candidate Pawan Bansal’s traditional vote bank in the rehabilitated colonies and slums, grabbing 1.08 lakh votes (23.97%) compared to Bansal’s 1.21 lakh (26.84%). BJP’s Kirron Kher, who won the elections, received 1.91 lakh votes (42.20%).
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, though, AAP’s vote share was relegated to just 3.82%, with its candidate Harmohan Dhawan polling 13,781 votes. BJP’s Kirron Kher retained the seat by a margin of roughly 46,000 votes against Congress’ Bansal. Bansal had received 1.84 lakh votes (40.35%), behind Kher’s 2.31 lakh votes (50.64%).
But AAP made a strong comeback in its maiden municipal corporation elections in 2021, clinching 14 of the total 35 seats.
Kher hints at not contesting again, clarifies later
The sitting MP, Kirron Kher, on Friday had hinted at not contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. During her speech at the Rose Festival inauguration, Kher said, “I am attending the Rose Festival for the past 10 years. I am extremely happy to attend this year’s fest too. I didn’t want to miss it, as I will come again as a friend, maybe.” Later in the evening, while talking to HT, Kher clarified, “I didn’t mean that I am not contesting again. I am holding meetings with senior party leaders in Delhi. I don’t wish to comment further yet.”
