Ahead of byelections, Congress battles turncoats’ ghar wapsi
Turncoats’ “ghar wapsi” into the Congress has posed a fresh challenge for its senior leadership, which on Monday gave a pubic assurance that they won’t take back any of its leaders who have quit the party.
The issue gained momentum after two former MLAs who had joined the BJP were said to be weighing options of returning to their parent party.
Firefighting rebellion
Sensing the rebellious mood of party workers, CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa during a recent rally gave public assurance that any leader who had left the Congress wouldn’t be taken back into the party fold.
Recently, the party fielded Ranjit Kumar, who had contested the LS poll on the BSP ticket from the Hoshiarpur constituency, instead of fielding Congress leader Kulwinder Singh Rasoolpuri for the Chabbewal bypoll.
In protest, Rasoolpuri, who was working as a constituency in-charge in Chabbewal after Congress MLA Dr Raj Kumar switched sides to AAP just ahead of the General Election, also joined the incumbent party. He claimed that Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Partap Singh Bajwa and Pradesh Congress Committee chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring had promised him a ticket from Chabbewal.
Sensing rebellious mood of party workers, Bajwa during his rally at Bajrawar village gave a public assurance that any leader, including Dr Raj Kumar, who had left the Congress, wouldn’t be taken back into the party fold. Yesterday, state party affairs co in-charge Alok Sharma and Kapurthala MLA and Chabbewal election incharge Rana Gurjeet were confronted by workers about reports of some leaders, including Dr Chabbewal, being taken back ahead of the 2027 Assembly poll.
“They asked why former minister Sunder Sham Arora was allowed to rejoin the Congress. In every election, the party leadership either relies on turncoats or take back leaders who left the party during difficult hours,” said a senior PCC leader. Meanwhile, AAP has fielded Dr Raj Kumar’s son Ishank Chabbewal from this segment. The party leaders said the turncoats were waiting for the outcome of the byelections.
