Rift in city Cong? Ex-chief floats front

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 24

A former president of the city Congress, Pradeep Chhabra, who recently floated a “non-political” Chandigarh Progressive Front, and the party seem to be treading different paths, hinting at a major rift in the party.

Yesterday, the city unit of the party held a virtual party meeting without inviting Chhabra. The latter, along with his supporters, had held a major event on the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar in Ram Darbar recently. The Congress had organised various Ambedkar Jyanti programmes in different parts of the city and Chhabra was not present in any of these.

The ex-president of the city Congress has also been sharing day-to-day messages under the banner of his newly formed front. Such a front was earlier formed by former MP

Harmohan Dhawan, who later left the BJP and contested the last parliamentary elections from the city on the AAP ticket.

‘Had no choice’

I have formed a non-political front only to raise city issues and for social works. I had to form it as I was not being invited to the party’s events in the city. —Pradeep Chhabra, Former President, City Congress

“If things do not improve between Chhabra and the city Congress, the former may independently fight the next MC elections to be held at the end of this year,” said a source close to him.

However, Chhabra, ex-Mayor, said, “I am a Congressman and will remain so in future as well. I have formed a non-political front only to raise city issues and for social works. I had to form it as I was not being invited to the party’s events in the city.

What is my fault? I even attended the swearing-in ceremony of my successor.”

His close associate and Congress general secretary Sandeep Bhardwaj today criticised the move of not inviting Chhabra and him to a party meeting yesterday. “I have been in the Congress for 36 years, but was not invited to the meeting. Even a previous party president was not invited. Let the time come, we will seek answers.”

City Congress president Subhash Chawla said, “We are calling all leaders through a common group and no personal invitation is sent to anyone. Only in yesterday’s virtual meeting, he (Chhabra) was not invited as only 25 people were called due to Covid.” He added, “No office-bearer of the Chandigarh Congress has been appointed yet. Only four spokespersons, block presidents and the Leader of Opposition have been appointed.”

Central Congress leadership had declared former Mayor Chawla the new head of the party’s city unit on February 9.