Pawan Kumar Bansal dropped, Manish Tewari is Congress pick for Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, April 13

Dropping former Union minister and four-time MP Pawan Kumar Bansal (75), the Congress today opted for a new face, fielding Anandpur Sahib MP Manish Tewari (58) as its candidate from Chandigarh for the Lok Sabha elections, pitting him against BJP’s Sanjay Tandon.

St John’s, DAV College alumnus

Manish Tewari, a former Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, has a house in Sector 4. An advocate by profession, he did his schooling from St John’s High School, Sector 26, and BA (Economics) from DAV College, Sector 10. He later pursued law (LLB) and Master of Business Administration (MBA).

AAP’s unconditional support

AAP has committed to support the Congress in Chandigarh, no matter who the candidate is. We will definitely support the Congress candidate unconditionally and wholeheartedly. — Prem Garg, senior AAP leader

Tewari had desired to contest from Chandigarh even in 2014 and 2019, but Bansal was named the candidate on both occasions. He lost to BJP’s Kirron Kher in both elections. In the last election, Tewari was picked for the Anandpur Sahib seat and he emerged the winner.

Other than Tewari and Bansal, city Congress president HS Lucky’s name was also shortlisted and sent to the party high command to take the call.

During his last meeting, Lucky had reportedly told the high command that the party should go for a fresh face in Chandigarh. Following this, Bansal and Lucky’s supporters had a face-off during a meeting in the Sector 35 party office in front of in-charge Rajeev Shukla and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu.

Tewari, a former Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, has a house in Sector 4. An advocate by profession, he did his schooling from St John’s High School, Sector 26, and BA (Economics) from DAV College, Sector 10. He later pursued Law (LLB) and Master of Business Administration (MBA).

His father Dr VN Tewari was assassinated by terrorists at their then Sector 24 home in Chandigarh on April 3, 1984 . He was professor of comparative modern Indian literature in Panjab University and a nominated MP. Tewari’s mother Prof Amrit Tewari, a Padma Shri recipient, was a former Dean of the PGI. She had passed away following a cardiac arrest in 2018.

“He is the real local leader, who was born and brought up in the city. His parents were also settled here,” said Wasim Mir, Tewari’s aide in city.

The Anandpur Sahib MP has been giving MPLAD funds for projects like open air gyms in Chandigarh parks.

On being asked about the election fight, Lucky said, “I had apprised the party already that a fresh face is being asked for by the workers and city residents following which his (Tewari’s) name has been announced. With full support of our alliance partner AAP, we are surely going to win the election. We will fight on a large number of Chandigarh issues,” he added.

Reacting to Tewari’s candidature, senior AAP leader Prem Garg said, “AAP has committed to support the Congress in Chandigarh, no matter who the candidate is. We will definitely support the Congress candidate unconditionally and wholeheartedly. Selection of the candidate is internal matter of the Congress and AAP never suggested any names.”