Corrupt people responsible for present mess in Punjab Congress: Jasbir Dimpa

Infighting in Congress continues to grow day by day as senior leader Jasbir Dimpa on Saturday slammed the party’s Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary for creating a mess in the state unit

The infighting in the Congress continues to grow day by day as senior leader and Member of Parliament (MP) from Khadoor Sahib Jasbir Singh Dimpa on Saturday slammed the party’s Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary for creating a mess in the state unit.

Member of Parliament from Khadoor Sahib Jasbir Dimpa, who has been annoyed since the Congress has given the ticket to two-time MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki from the Khadoor Sahib assembly segment, termed party’s Punjab in-charge Harish Chaudhary a “corrupt” person. (HT File Photo)

Dimpa’s comment comes a day after former state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar attacked party’s veteran leader Ambika Soni for “backstabbing Punjab”.

In a news conference on Friday, Jakhar said Rahul Gandhi was swayed by Soni’s warning that “Punjab would be lit on fire if Sunil is made the CM.”

“On September 20, I said that I had got votes of 42 MLAs. I told Ambika Soni that you have backstabbed Punjab just like the Akalis,” Jakhar said in the conference.

Dimpa, who has been annoyed since the party has given the ticket to two-time MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki from the Khadoor Sahib assembly segment, termed Chaudhary a “corrupt” person.

“Correctly said @sunilkjakhar, immature, incapable, corrupt people like Thugs of Barmer are responsible for the present mess in the Punjab Congress,” Dimpa tweeted on Saturday. He also attached a clipping of a Punjabi newspaper covering Jakhar’s statement.

Dimpa didn’t mention Chaudhary’s name, but it is seen as a direct attack on the party’s Punjab-in-charge. Chaudhary, whose Twitter id is @Barmer_Harish, is an MLA from the Baytoo constituency. Baytoo is a tehsil in Barmer district in Rajasthan. Chaudhary also served as an MP from the Barmer-Jaisalmer seat from 2009-2014.

Disgruntled Dimpa wanted the party to pit his son Updesh Gill from the Khadoor Sahib assembly segment. Earlier, Dimpa had levelled serious allegations of corruption against his own party for distributing tickets.

A few days ago, Dimpa’s brother Harpinder Singh, alias Rajan Gill, joined the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in the presence of the party chief Sukhbir Singh Badal. Harpinder has been alleging that Congress has accepted money in crores while distributing the tickets.

Meanwhile, Chaudhary on Saturday inducted former SAD MLA from the Jandiala constituency Ajaypal Singh Mirakot into the Congress party fold in the presence of party MP Ravneet Singh Bittu. Dimpa has a considerable hold in the Jandiala constituency from where his close associate Satinderjit Singh Chajjalwadi has been contesting the assembly election on SAD’s ticket. Chajjalwadi had joined SAD last month.

Dimpa wanted the Congress high command to give the ticket to Chajjalwadi from the Baba Bakala constituency, Dimpa’s home turf.