Jalandhar: Congress begins preparations for MC poll

Aakanksha N Bhardwaj

Jalandhar, July 16

While the Lok Sabha election was won by Charanjit Singh Channi from the constituency, Surinder Kaur, party candidate in the Jalandhar West bypoll, got votes less than the candidates of AAP and the BJP, making the party stood third.

Now, with the municipal corporation elections next on schedule, it has become a major challenge for the Congress as almost all party councillors switched the sides. It will be difficult for the party to find “trustworthy” candidates. Those who left the Congress enjoyed respect and trust among residents in their wards because of the work they did, so it will be a painstaking task for the Congress to give reliable faces.

There was a time in 2017 when the Congress enjoyed a majority in the municipal corporation here and there were above 65 councillors backed by the party. Everything changed when AAP formed the government in the state two years ago and Congress councillors started switching parties.

Now, the party is hardly left with less than 10 councillors.

Balraj Thakur, a senior leader and five-time councillor from the party, said people would vote where they have hope.

“Even though councillors have left the party, it’’s not that we are short of candidates. People know who can work for them and we know that no matter what, things will be in our favour in the MC elections. Also, every election is different from the other,” he said.

Another leader from the Congress said the preparations were already started. “We have started meeting ward residents. We will have to ensure that we manage to retain our position. Everything was smooth earlier, we wish that the upcoming MC House should also be led by the Congress only,” he said.