Congress’ KK Bawa withdraws candidature as Independent from Bharat Bhushan Ashu’s constituency

Krishan Kumar Bawa, who is the chairperson of Punjab state industrial development corporation (PSIDC) and a senior leader of the Congress, had announced on January 30 that he would contest the Punjab assembly elections as an Independent from Ludhiana West, which is cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu’s constituency

Disgruntled Congress leader Krishan Kumar Bawa, who had filed his nomination papers as independent candidate on January 31, withdrew his candidature on Friday.

Congress leader KK Bawa coming out of mini-secretariat with party leader Bharat Bhushan Ashu and mayor Balkar Sandhu, after withdrawing his nominations in Ludhiana on Friday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Bawa arrived alone at the deputy commissioner’s (DC) office around 3pm, but was soon joined by cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu and mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu.

The chairperson of Punjab state industrial development corporation (PSIDC) and a senior leader of the Congress, Bawa had announced on January 30 that he would contest the assembly elections as an Independent from Ludhiana West, which is cabinet minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu’s constituency.

“All is well between me and Ashu and the misunderstandings have been cleared. I have served the Congress for 45 years. My family and friends told me that I should not indulge in any act, which would lead to the fall of the grand old party, which is standing strongly against communal forces that are dividing the society,” said Bawa after coming out of the deputy commissioner office with Ashu.

He was quick to add that the criticism of Ashu on January 30 (after the allotment of ticket) was a spur-of-the-moment reaction as he was disappointed at being denied a ticket for the seventh time.

He said that like a true foot-soldier of the Congress party, he will campaign for cabinet minister Ashu in his constituency.

Sources said mayor Sandhu played a pivotal role in persuading Bawa. They added that Bawa’s decision came after the party high command asked for names of workers involved in anti-party activities.

After submitting his candidature on January 31, Bawa had refused to resign from the party and claimed to be a “stakeholder” in the Congress party. “I was shot on both legs on March 17, 1989. Even during the peak of militancy, we kept the flag of the Congress flying high,” Bawa had said in Rajguru Nagar.

Bawa had also accused Punjab election in-charge Harish Chaudhary of forming a nexus that is involved in the trade of assembly tickets.