Day after accompanying Manish Tewari in padyatra, Subhash Chawla joins BJP

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, May 15

Less than 24 hours after he accompanied Congress candidate for city LS seat Manish Tewari during his padyatra before the filing of nomination papers, two-time Mayor and former city Congress president Subhash Chawla joined the BJP today.

Chawla reached Kamalam — the BJP’s office in Sector 33 — along with his son Sumit Chawla and supporters to formally join the saffron party around 1 pm. The BJP had made an announcement to this effect in the morning.

Made city Cong chief in 2021

• Subhash Chawla has been the city Congress chief from Feb 9, 2021, to June 11, 2022. The Congress made him the city party president replacing Pradeep Chhabra, who joined AAP just before the Municipal Corporation (MC) elections.
• In the MC elections, the Congress won eight wards, while AAP emerged the largest party in the House of 35 councillors. Chawla resigned as city Congress chief six months after the elections, without citing any reason. HS Lucky was appointed president in his place.

One of the star campaigners

• Chawla was named one of the star campaigners of the Congress. Besides, he was on the Congress Election Committee, Manifesto Committee and Political Affairs Committee of the party.

Chawla has been close to four-time MP Pawan Kumar Bansal, who has not joined any Congress event or Tewari’s campaign since the latter was named the candidate for the city seat. Though Chawla cited his reservations over the alliance between the Congress and AAP as the reason for his sudden move, sources in the party said he was feeling sidelined because AAP leaders were given prominence during campaigning.

“I have always been against this alliance. I had opposed the tie-up at the party forum as well. However, no one listened to me, making me take this step. AAP has damaged the Congress the most. How can we have a tie-up with them? This party will eventually eat up the Congress,” he said while addressing a press conference after joining the BJP.

Have always opposed Cong-AAP alliance

I have always been against the Cong-AAP alliance. However, no one listened to me. AAP has damaged the Congress the most. How can we have a tie-up with it? The party will eventually eat up Congress. —Subhash Chawla

One of the senior-most Congress leaders said another reason for Chawla defecting to the BJP was Sanjay Tandon. “I appreciate his work during the Covid times. I also like his initiative of regularly providing ration to a large number of widows. He got the BCCI affiliation for Chandigarh. He is the best candidate for the city.”

The BJP’s national vice-president, Dr Saroj Pandey, said Chawla was also impressed by the works and policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

City BJP president Jatinder Pal Malhotra said, “Chawla has been like a Chanakya. He is the one person who can be contacted for any policy matter in the MC. He will be given due respect in the party.”

Tandon said Chawla’s rich experience in politics would help the BJP in a big way.

Denying Chawla’s assertions on AAP, city Congress president HS Lucky said, “The party fielded him for the post of Mayor twice and also made him city unit president. He was being given due respect, but he himself was not active in the party.”