Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary takes to pressure tactics

Deepkamal Kaur

Jalandhar, April 8

As former Chief Minister Charanjit S Channi has started intensifying his activities in Jalandhar with each passing day ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Phillaur MLA Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, who has been seeking ticket for himself or his family member, has started using pressure tactics on the party.

His first salvo was by quitting as the Chief Whip of the Congress in the Vidhan Sabha. Chaudhary has reportedly submitted the resignation to Leader of Opposition Partap S Bajwa. As soon as the news spread, Vikramjit chose to go incommunicado not taking any calls or replying to any messages of the media.

His move also fuelled speculation that he could switch to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as it is yet to announce ticket from Jalandhar. But no reaction was available from him on the issue.

AAP leaders shared that the party had been conducting surveys for all possible inside and outside candidates and would attempt to field the best available candidate. After there have been reports that Local Bodies Minister Balkar Singh was unlikely to be fielded, the names of Darshan S Talhi, former DCC (rural) chief who had joined AAP two years ago, and Chandan Grewal (both from the Valmiki community) had been doing rounds. Former Akali CPS Pawan Tinu is also learnt to be on AAP’s radar.

AAP has called a meeting of all Jalandhar MLAs in Chandigarh tomorrow. Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann and senior leaders Sanjay Singh and Sandeep Pathak will be taking the meeting. A discussion on Jalandhar candidate is expected to be the main agenda.

The Congress has another Chief Whip – Barindermeet Singh Pahra, Gurdaspur MLA. Though Chaudhary’s resignation as the Chief Whip is unlikely to make much of a difference to the party, it is wary that he could intensify his revolt by taking any further step.

Channi yesterday attended a programme of the Valmiki community in Jalandhar. He also held a meeting with party workers and locals in the Jalandhar West Assembly segment, where AAP has gone weak since the defection of MP Sushil Rinku and MLA Sheetal Angural. Reports that he had taken a house in Jalandhar for camping had further annoyed him. The cutting of cake with ‘Sada Channi Jalandhar’ words on it had also left Chaudharys fuming.