BJP’s Som Parkash wants ticket for wife, Sampla son

Ashok Kaura

Phagwara, September 21

The political scenario in the constituency is fully charged up following the announcement of the byelection. The seat fell vacant after the election of BJP MLA Som Parkash to the Lok Sabha.

Both main parties — the Congress and the BJP — are facing factionalism. Union Minister Som Parkash is seeking the party ticket for his wife Anita Som Parkash, while his rival former Union MoS Vijay Sampla is using his connections to get the ticket for his son Sahil Sampla.

Similarly, all is not well in the ruling party in which political tug of war is being witnessed. Senior IAS officer Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal and former minister Joginder Singh Maan (both aspirants for the ticket) have accelerated their campaign and both are posing themselves as the Congress candidate. Sources say Dhaliwal seems to be leading the race and Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is learnt to have given green signal to him.

Maan along with former Union Minister Buta Singh had recently met AICC chairperson Sonia Gandhi, but the sources say the CM is in favour of Dhaliwal.

Other Congress leaders Raj Kumar Chabbewal, DCC president Balbir Rani Sodhi and Sohan Lal Banga are also in the race, but the Congress has already posted Sodhi as DCC president and Banga as Phagwara Improvement Trust chairman. Chabbewal is already an MLA, so choice is between Dhaliwal and Maan.

Factionalism in ruling party too 

• Senior IAS officer Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal and former minister Joginder Singh Maan (both aspirants for the ticket) have accelerated their campaign and both are posing themselves as the Congress candidate
• Dhaliwal seems to be leading the race and CM Capt Amarinder Singh is learnt to have given green signal to him
• Maan, along with former Union Minister Buta Singh, had recently met AICC chairperson Sonia Gandhi, but the sources say the CM is in favour of Dhaliwal