Congress delay in naming Dharamsala pick makes aspirants restive

Lalit Mohan

Dharamsala, May 5

The filing of nomination papers for Dharamsala byelections is going to begin this week and just three weeks are left for campaigning. However, the Congress is yet to declare its candidate for Dharamsala byelections to take on rebel and now BJP candidate Sudhir Sharma.

Aspirants start campaigning

• Three aspirants of Congress ticket — former Mayor Davinder Jaggi, BJP rebel Rakesh Chaudhary and Congress leader Vijay Inder Karan — have already started campaigning
• However, a ticket aspirant said delay would mar the Congress campaign in the constituency and the rebellion that the party was expecting to subdue was bound to happen
• An aspirant of Congress ticket said things were geting tough as just three weeks were left for campaigning

The delay in declaration of ticket has made ticket aspirants restive. An aspirant of Congress ticket while talking to The Tribune said that now just three weeks were left for campaigning. “We have talked to senior party leaders and they are saying that survey was still being conducted to give ticket for Dharamsala byelections. The delay is likely mar Congress chances in the constituency,” a leader said.

Sources here said the Congress was delaying announcement of party ticket to subdue chances of rebellion in its ranks once the ticket is announced. However, a ticket aspirant said delay would just mar the Congress campaign in the constituency and the rebellion that the party was expecting to subdue was bound to happen.

Meanwhile, three aspirants of Congress ticket — former Mayor Davinder Jaggi, BJP rebel Rakesh Chaudhary and Congress leader Vijay Inder Karan have already started campaigning.

Rakesh Chaudhary is among one of the candidates shortlisted by the Congress for giving ticket for Dharamsala byelections. Chaudhary has started his election campaign and was openly claiming that he would contest as an Independent in case Congress denies him the ticket.

Rakesh Chaudhary, when asked, said “I have contested two elections. In 2019, I contested as an Independent and got 17,000 votes. In 2022, I contested as a BJP candidate and got 24,000 votes. My workers and supporters are pressing on me to contest as an Independent candidate in case the Congress denies me ticket. I am waiting for Congress decision and am confident that the party will allot me ticket, he said.

The sources said the Gaddi community leaders have met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu and urged him to give ticket to Vijay Inder Karan, a community leader from the Congress. Gaddi leaders have warned the Congress that in case a member of their community is not named for the byelections they would field an Independent candidate.

All this while, the delay is sure to make going tough for whosoever candidate is selected by party to take on its rebel Sudhir Sharma.