Acting DCC chiefs continue to occupy post

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 22

A controversy over the issue of holding of offices of District Congress Committee presidents (Urban and Rural) continues despite directions from the Punjab Congress in-charge Asha Kumari that the time period for the acting presidents to work was over since the day of polling.

Acting president DCC (Urban) Daljit Singh Ahluwalia continues to occupy the seat of the president. His companions, including Manjit Singh Saroya and Satnam Bitta, too come along during his visits to the office at the Congress Bhawan. In fact, the entire building has been decked up with hoardings bearing the pictures of Ahluwalia.

Sitting president DCC (Urban) Rajinder Beri, because of whose candidature from Jalandhar Central Ahluwalia was appointed as acting president by the PPCC till poll, too continues to make a visit to the Bhawan almost daily.

Beri says, “I am being wrongly projected as someone who is greedy about a position. I visit the office as I used to do earlier. I have neither sat on my chair either nor I want it now. I have always preferred to sit outside with the party workers and discuss issues with them. I do not want any groupism or a conflict-like situation here over the issue.”

In the meantime, newly designed hoardings ahead of the joining ceremony of the acting president DCC (rural) Capt Harminder Singh were also being brought to the Congress Bhawan.

Capt Harminder Singh, who was slated to join the office tomorrow, will now be taking over on Monday. “I had to come to Chandigarh for the release of a biography by our party president Capt Amarinder Singh. I am still here. I have put off my joining to coming Monday,” he said.

Both acting presidents had been appointed, as the DCC (Urban) president Rajinder Beri was a candidate from the Jalandhar Central seat and DCC (Rural) president Jagbir Brar was a candidate from the Nakodar seat.

However, Congress in-charge of Punjab Affairs Asha Kumari has already clarified on Monday that “Ahluwalia and Capt Harminder were only acting presidents till the polling happened as both sitting presidents were candidates for the Assembly poll. Now that the elections are over, it is Beri and Brar who should be back in a saddle now. The letters issued to Ahluwalia and Capt Harminder were only for an interim arrangement, the purpose for which is over now.”

However, the acting presidents claim that they had been asked in a letter issued by PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh that they should continue on the post till further orders.