Punjab Election: Congress out to mollify rebel candidates

Tribune News Service

Rajmeet Singh

Chandigarh, February 1

With three days left for the withdrawal of nomination papers, the Congress leadership has stepped up efforts to mollify party leaders who have entered the fray as Independent candidates. At least seven prominent leaders have chosen to contest the Assembly elections against party nominees.

A senior party leader told The Tribune after convincing the leaders to withdraw their nominations, the party will issue show-cause notices to rebels for expulsion from the party, if required, after February 4. “If people have left, others are joining back,” he said.

Clarifying on not reallotting the Adampur seat to senior leader Mohinder Singh Kaypee and the Khadoor Sahib seat to Harpinder Singh, brother of MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa, the leader said though the seats were reviewed, reallotting these would have opened a pandora’s box for the party. There was pressure on the party to review other tickets also.

However, Kewal Dhillon, who has been denied the ticket from Barnala, has not filed his nomination as an Independent candidate after Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi went to his house last evening to mollify him. Ravi Nandan Bajwa, son of Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, has also not filed papers as an Independent candidate from Batala.

Among the party faces who have filed nominations as Independent candidates are Daaman Bajwa (Sunam); Dr Manohar Singh (Bassi Pathana), brother of CM Charanjit Singh Channi; Rana Inder Partap Singh (Sultanpur Lodhi), son of Rana Gurjeet Singh; Harpinder Singh (Khadoor Sahib), brother of MP Jasbir Singh Dimpa; Manjit Kaur (Badhaur), wife of Deputy Speaker Ajaib Singh Bhatti; and KK Bawa (Ludhiana West).

On party leaders denied the ticket, PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu said the party would persuade them.

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