E-Paper
Detractors may spoil the party for Punjab Cong
Punjab Congress has pinned its hopes on "fresh faces" for the Lok Sabha, but those denied ticket are keen to play spoilsport.
Even as Congress pinned hopes on "fresh faces" in Punjab to make their entry into the Lok Sabha, those denied ticket are keen to play spoilsport.
Congress, which won eight of the 13 seats in Punjab in 1999, has fielded some five "new faces" to try their luck.
Of the eight outgoing party MPs, five were renominated, though firebrand leader Jagmeet Brar was even allowed to shift from his Faridkot constituency.
However, fielding of "new faces" has led to dissidence. The three, who were denied ticket, have raised a banner of revolt and two of them have already deserted the party.
Both Charanjit Singh Channi (Hoshiarpur) and Balbir Singh (Jalandhar) dumped the party after their candidature for renomination were rejected.
While Channi joined hands with Mayawati's BSP, Singh preferred Parkash Singh Badal led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD).
Nothwithstanding Punjab Congress chief H S Hanspal claims that the desertions by Channi and Singh would hardly affect the prospects of the party, insiders asserted that Singh had been in active politics in the Doaba region for over two decades.
