M A I N   N E W S

Punjab Cong civic poll campaign flounders
Rebellion in Ludhiana, Patiala; finding candidates becomes difficult
Jangveer Singh/TNS

REBEL COUNT Ludhiana 21 Patiala 25 Jalandhar 15 Amritsar 04

Chandigarh, June 1
The Punjab Congress campaign for the municipal corporation, nagar council and nagar panchayat elections is floundering with the party being hit hard by rebellion in Ludhiana and Patiala. It is virtually finding no takers for nagar council and nagar panchayat seats.

The party, which earlier faced criticism for failing to distribute ticket in league with grassroot workers, has also failed to placate rebels.

Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh has chosen to delegate the authority of ticket selection and is yet to lead the party from the front. According to sources, this has had a demoralising effect on party workers and may also have an adverse impact on the outcome of panchayat poll, to be held after the civic elections.

The Congress is in a royal soup in Ludhiana with the formation of a Congress Workers Forum of rebel candidates which is being seen as a challenger to the main party. The forum has fielded 21 candidates, including former councillors and senior party functionaries. Forum leader Varun Mehta claims the rebellion is against a defunct party leadership, which is no longer in tune with grassroot realities.

In Patiala, former Mayor Vishnu Sharma has sounded the bugle of revolt against the “palace”. Around 25 rebel candidates are in the fray in a 50-member house. Besides rebels, one candidate (Makhan Singh) has withdrawn in favour of his Akali counterpart; another (Surjit Dhiman) has joined the SAD and a third (Rajinder Kaur) is not campaigning from her seat.

In Jalandhar also, 15 rebels have emerged even as the candidate from ward number 45 (Gulshan Sarangal) has withdrawn from the fray in favour of former senior deputy mayor Kamaljit Singh Bhatia of the SAD.

SAD and a third (Rajinder Kaur) is not campaigning from her seat.

In Jalandhar also, 15 rebels have emerged even as the candidate from ward number 45 (Gulshan Sarangal) has withdrawn from the fray in favour of former senior deputy mayor Kamaljit Singh Bhatia of the SAD.

In Amritsar, there are four major rebels. Former DCC urban president Joginder Dhingra has claimed that many potential rebels have been placated by the local leadership. However, a candidate (Deepak) has withdrawn from ward No. 37 while another (Navtej Singh) from ward 39 has joined the Akalis.

While the Congress still seems to be in fight on some seats in the corporation elections to be held on June 10, it seems to have thrown in the towel in most of the 29 nagar panchayats and municipal committees that go to the polls on June 7.

The party gave up the entire Dharamkot council without putting up a fight after former Akali Kaka Lohgarh, who contested the Assembly elections from Dharamkot, did not show any interest in the poll. The SAD has won nine out of 13 seats in the Valtoha nagar panchayat unopposed. It has also won unopposed a majority of seats in Zira, Makhu and Shahkot nagar panchayats.

The party is not contesting on its symbol in a number of nagar panchayats because in some cases it is not getting any candidates. The situation is prevalent even in former Congress strongholds of Ghanour and Ghagga in the Patiala parliamentary constituency. Party leaders blame it on the fear psychosis among grassroot workers. Congress MLA Sukh Sarkaria claimed four party candidates were forced to withdraw from the poll in the Raja Sansi municipal committee.