Cong files fresh plaint with poll panel over ‘harassment’ of candidates

For the civic body poll, Punjab Congress has directed its candidates to prepare a report of the AAP government of their respective wards and prepare a vision document for the voters.

Chairing a meeting of party leaders of the five municipal corporations of Amritsar, Patiala, Jalandhar, Phagwara and Ludhiana, party leaders in an internal party meeting said with the AAP government nearing its three-year term, anti-incumbency regarding the lack of basic amenities like poor solid and waste management could work to the disadvantage of the ruling dispensation.

PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, who has been holding closed door meetings with screening committee members of the respective civic bodies, said the party candidates are being harassed. The Deputy Commissioners and the Presiding Officers are delaying issuance of documents to our candidates. NOCs are being demanded from candidates, said Warring.

“We have today again lodged a formal complaint over all the issues with the State Election Commission. The administration — under pressure from the AAP government — is denying chance to our candidates to file their nomination,” the PPCC chief said.

The legal cell of the state party unit has taken up the issue of delay in issuing of voters list, non-availability of Presiding Officers, NOC being unnecessarily asked from the candidates despite guidelines from the State Election Commission and non-availability of nomination-related documents with the State Election Commission through separate complaints.

Meanwhile at a press conference, Alok Sharma, AICC secretary and in-charge of Punjab, claimed the Congress would sweep the municipal elections in Punjab and win all the five Municipal Corporations and 42 Municipal Committees.

He said AAP has mastered the art of winning elections by hook or crook. He said that AAP has failed to deliver on the tall promises it had made before coming to power.