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Former Chandigarh MPs’ sons make their presence felt in city politics
In AAP, Harmohan Dhawan’s son Bikram Dhawan has taken over as the vice-president of the local unit; in Congress, Pawan Bansal’s son is actively taking part in party affairs
As the municipal corporation election campaign heats up, sons of two former Lok Sabha members from Chandigarh are making their presence felt, which many political analysts say is indicative of a coming generational change in the city’s politics.
In the Aam Admi Party (AAP), former MP Harmohan Dhawan’s son Bikram Dhawan has taken over as the vice-president of the local unit. Meanwhile, in the Congress, former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal’s son Manish Bansal is actively taking part in the party affairs and even presides over campaign meetings.
Both had played a prominent role in the 2019 Lok Sabha election campaigns of their fathers as well. Manish, in fact, had been managing the former MP’s elections from behind the scenes. “I have been working for the party in all elections. Generally, I am busy with my business. But during elections, we all Congressmen must work for the party’s success,” said Manish.
Bikram too claimed that he has been dedicatedly working for the party since the last Lok Sabha elections, and has “actively worked in the election campaigns of my father”.
However, the increased presence of these two has been met with opposition within their parties. In the Congress, former city unit chief Pardeep Chhabra’s move to join the AAP was attributed to his differences with the party leadership on Manish’s role in the party affairs.
In the AAP, though no differences have come out in the open yet, many insiders are questioning the move to give official position to Bikram while long-term party workers were left out in the recent rejig.
‘No dynastic politics at play’
Both the parties have categorically brushed any dynastic politics in the rise of these two sons.
Downplaying Manish’s presence in the party’s meetings and campaigning, Chandigarh Congress president Subhash Chawla said: “He doesn’t hold any party position. He mostly attends party and public meetings as a cover for Pawan Bansal, when he is not in the city.”
Manish said: “I don’t hold any post in the party. I am working like any other ordinary Congressman for the party’s victory in the MC elections. I don’t know why people are reading too much into it.”
Bikram himself admits that questions have been raised within the party and outside over his appointment. “Many have connected my appointment with my father’s return to active politics. Also, it is seen as continuation of dynastic politics. But nothing could be further from the truth. I don’t have any political ambitions. I am here only for the party’s win in MC elections,” he said.
Chhabra, who is now the Chandigarh AAP co-incharge, said: “Neither Harmohan nor Bikram wanted any position for him (Bikram). He is here to support the party and his father.”
Meanwhile, taking a dig at both opposition parties, Bharatiya Janata Party state president Arun Sood said: “In our party, too, families do work for the organisation’s cause, but they are not promoted just because they are sons or daughters of senior leaders. Take the city’s example; neither mine, nor Sanjay Tandon’s nor Satya Pal Jain’s family members are being promoted.”
