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Punjab polls: Congress rebels adamant on fighting, may play spoilsport
There are eight prominent rebels in the Punjab Congress, including chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s brother Dr Manohar Singh, cabinet minister Rana Gurjeet Singh’s son Rana Inder, and deputy speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti’s wife Manjit Kaur, who have filed their nomination papers
Chandigarh : Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu recently said that only the Congress can defeat the Congress. The remark appears to have been taken literally by several ticket seekers who have rebelled and are contesting against the party candidates after being denied ticket.
There are eight prominent rebels, including chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s brother Dr Manohar Singh, cabinet minister Rana Gurjeet Singh’s son Rana Inder, and deputy speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti’s wife Manjit Kaur, who have filed their nomination papers.
The state unit is making efforts to douse the rebel fire by pacifying the discontented leaders and even threatening to take disciplinary action, but it has not made much success till now.
A senior Congress leader said the party was in touch with several of these leaders and making constant efforts to pacify them. “If you look at how everyone was talking about the impending rebellion and large-scale poaching, their (rebels’) number is not much this time. It is actually much less than previous elections,” he said.
Though there is still time till Friday, the last day for withdrawal of nomination papers by candidates, to bring the rebels round, most of them seem to be adamant on contesting. “I am not backing out. I am going to contest. It’s a Delhi-versus-Nawanshahr fight,” sitting MLA Angad Singh said, revealing his resolve.
The 31-year-old first-timer, who has been replaced with Satvir Singh Palli Jhikki, was denied the Congress ticket as his wife Aditi Singh, MLA from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh, joined the BJP and dared Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest against her. Rana Gurjeet’s son Rana Inder Partap Singh, who has filed papers as an Independent candidate from Sultanpur Lodhi, is also in no mood to change in his mind. Both father and son have gone all-out after sitting Congress legislator Navtej Singh Cheema. The minister is the Congress candidate from Kapurthala.
Dr Manohar, whose entry from Bassi Pathana against sitting MLA Gurpreet Singh GP has put the Congress leadership in a spot, said he is very much in the fray. “I am in my area and campaigning,” he added.
Similarly, four-time MLA Amrik Singh Dhillon, in whose place Rupinder Singh ‘Raja’ Gill has been fielded from Samrala, has also refused to budge, stating that he had a very strong claim having won the seat four times, but was treated unfairly.
Another potential spoiler is three-time former MLA Harminder Singh Jassi, a relative of jailed Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is testing his sway against Khushbaz Jattana in Talwandi Sabo. “We are running our campaign at full steam. There is no question of quitting the race,” said Jassi’s nephew Vicky who answered his phone. The constituency has dera followers in good numbers, and he is counting on them.
Veteran leader Krishan Kumar Bawa and Daman Bajwa have also filed their nomination papers from Ludhiana West and Sunam. Besides those entered the fray, there are also several others like former state Congress president Mohinder Singh Kaypee, former minister Jagmohan Singh Kang and Amarjeet Tikka, who are incensed or have quit the party over candidate selection.
