Congress raises pitch for ‘one man-one post’ rule

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, November 19

Raising a pitch over the implementation of rule of one man-one post, the Congress workers today met Punjab Congress in-charge Harish Chaudhary and co-incharge Chetan Chauhan and sought the implementation of the rule in the upcoming appointments for the district committees.

Amid buzz that a new District Congress Committee (DCC) chief and two working presidents could be appointed from among the Municipal Corporation councillors, the party workers said this was uncalled for. “These posts should go to someone who is not holding any post or else the workers who have been standing for the party and working at the frontal level for so many years would feel ignored and sit back home,” said Sanjay Sehgal, a party leader.

Chaudhary and Chauhan, along with Deputy Chief Minister OP Soni, listened to the grievances of the workers for nearly 45 minutes at the Congress Bhawan here. Several councillors demanded a replacement of Mayor Jagdish Raja. “If the CM can change mid-term, why not the Mayor. We do not like his style of working”, many councillors raised the issue during the meeting.

Party leader and director of the Punjab Khadi Board levelled allegations of a thriving nexus in the Municipal Corporation to loot the public. “Open bribe is being accepted by the Town Planning Department from even 2 marla plot holders. The officials are using their own men to lodge RTIs to put pressure on people to garner money”, he said, while also talking about a harmful internal opposition created by the party by removing own chairmen and letting them down at the fag end of the term.

Ruing that their grouse had not been addressed for the past nearly five years since their government was in power, the Congress workers also sought a better redressal system. At this, Chaudhary asked co-incharge Chetan Chauhan to visit the city again on November 23 to listen to the workers. Many workers who did not get time to be heard called the meeting a mere eyewash.

Ahead of the meeting, all leaders addressed the workers. During his address, OP Soni requested Chaudhary to take an early decision on announcement of party tickets. “All other parties have started announcing their candidates, who are already in field ready with their campaign. We too must not delay things on our part,” he said. In response, Chaudhary said the announcement could take time as some surveys, advisory committee meetings and a whole lot of process was pending. “We will announce tickets at the tactically best timing instead of joining a rat race”, he said.

Chaudhary also said, “No ticket of any candidate from 117 Assembly seats has been finalised – not even of the CM or the Deputy CM or ministers or the sitting MLAs.”