MC polls: Leaders choose safe turfs for better halves

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 12

Call it a love for power or for the better half, senior political leaders in the city have chosen safe turfs to launch their wives for the post of Mayor.

These VIP candidates have only a single opponent each and that, too, is a fresher!

While Congress MLA Rajinder Beri from Jalandhar (central) has chosen to re-launch his wife Uma Beri from the same area from where she was the sitting Councillor in the last general house, Congress MLA Sushil Rinku from Jalandhar (west), too, have chosen his constituency to field his wife Sunita Rinku.

Nevertheless, former leader of the Opposition, Jagdish Raja, too, chose well-secured ward to filed his wife and former area Councillor Anita Raja.

BJP’s former MLA KD Bhandari’s brother and former Councillor Ashwini Bhandari, too, chose his ward to field his wife Ritu Bhandari.

While Uma Beri is competing with first-time candidate Kiran Jagota, Sunita Rinku is contesting against an independent candidate Greta Rani.

Surprisingly, another candidate and wife of the BJP leader Vijay Sahota was contesting against Rinku but later withdrew her nomination and announced support to Rinku.

The other candidate Geeta Rani, though contesting independently, but enjoying support from Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has alleged that Rinku was there tending her and was forcing to withdraw her nomination.

Anita Raja, too, has been facing a lone contest from the BJP candidate Anu Walia who is contesting for the first time.

Nevertheless, Ritu Bhandari, too, is facing a lone contest from first-time candidate Rajni Bahri, a home maker and wife of Congress leader Salil Bahri.

Since Bahri has a senior BJP leader as close relative, the contest here is claimed to be fixed by the two parties.

The well-thought launch pads though have created turbulence in the Congress cadre as many have reported to have opposed the move.

Sources inside the party have questioned the need of area MLAs to field their wives as candidates from well-secured turfs.

“Why have they fielded their wives in the first instance? Are they not sure about their potential to carry out development as area MLAs or they are eying to grab the post of the Mayor for their wives?” asked a Congress leader, pleading anonymity.

When contacted, Beri said though he did not want to field his wife but he had to bow down due to the pressure by residents of the area.

On the contrary, majority of the workers are perturbed about losing a chance to contest from their respective wards to pave the way for high-profile candidates.

Some, though, have tried to approach the party high command seeking to get the one family-one ticket rule in the municipal elections as well, the voices got lost in between.