M A I N   N E W S

Cong picks Bansal for Chandigarh
Party says no legal taint on former Railway Minister
No decision on pending Haryana, Punjab seats
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 13
After days of intense deliberations on whether to give in to the public perception of tainted candidates, the Congress today named former Railway Minister Pawan Bansal its candidate for Chandigarh, a segment he has represented in the Lok Sabha for four terms since 1991 and for 15 years continuously since 1999.

“My stand has been vindicated. I thank the party leadership for reposing its faith in me,” said Bansal after being included in the second list of 71 candidates announced by the Congress Central Election Committee on Thursday.

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Top party sources said Bansal was named as “there’s no legal taint on him.” His nephew has been chargesheeted by the CBI in the cash for railway jobs scam which unfolded when he was the Railway Minister. The events had led to Bansal’s stepping down from the ministry. “Bansal’s name is nowhere in the case or the chargesheet. He is in fact a prosecution witness in the case against his nephew,” said a leader explaining Bansal’s nomination.

Also, in today’s list is another “tainted candidate” and former minister Subodh Kant Sahay, re-nominated from Ranchi seat. Sahay faced the heat when it was found that a company headed by his brother got a coal block which was later de-allocated by the government when it was looking into the scam.

The Congress kept its decision on Pune pending. The seat is represented in LS by MP Suresh Kalmadi who has been chargesheeted in the CWG scam. Similarly, no decision was taken for the Nanded seat in Maharashtra from where former state CM Ashok Chavan (named in the Adarsh Housing scam) is an applicant along with his wife.

The highlight of today’s move is Congress’ decision to signal its political rivals that “it would not sacrifice winning candidates on allegation of taint on leaders”. However, against whom the court has framed charges could be denied the ticket – for instance Kalmadi and even Chavan.

From Himachal, the Congress today named three candidates – all state CM Virbhadra Singh’s loyalists. Rohru MLA Mohal Lal Bragta will fight from Shimla SC seat; OBC leader Chander Kumar from Kangra and CM’s wife and sitting Mandi MP Pratibha Singh from Mandi. The CM pushed for Bragta over young leader Vinod Sultanpuri in Shimla; Chander Kumar over Union Minister Chandresh Kumari in Kangra and got his way. The candidate for the contentious Hamirpur seat was not declared today. Here, the CM and state Congress chief Sukhwinder Sukhu are at loggerheads, While the CM wants BJP rebel Rajinder Rana to be fielded from Hamirpur, Sukhu is batting for Himachal Industry Minister Mukesh Agnihotri.

None of the candidates for the three pending Haryana seats– Gurgaon, Ambala and Sirsa — were declared. No decision was taken on eight pending Punjab seats too as suspense over the seats of Manish Tewari and Punjab Congress chief Partap Bajwa continues.

Today’s list comprises 30% youth as promised by Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi whose stamp is visible in the names. Several sitting ministers and MPs have been fielded.

Former UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi has bagged the politically significant Lucknow seat and actress Nagma has been fielded from Meerut. Actor-turned-politician Raj Babbar has changed his seat from Firozabad in UP and has been fielded from Ghaziabad in UP which BJP president Rajnath Singh currently represents in the LS.

Another intresting candidates is former MP Begum Noor Bano, who hails from the royal family of Rampur. She will fight from Moradabad replacing Mohd Azharuddin who is fishing for a safe seat. Ministers Shashi Thaoor, Veerappa Moily and V Narayanasamy will defend their seats of Thirivananthapuram in Kerala, Chikkaballapur in Karnataka and Puducherry.