Mohali, January 21
Mr Bir Devinder Singh today appealed to the All-India Congress Committee chief, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to review the decision to allocate the Kharar ticket to Balbir Singh Sidhu within two-three days, failing which he would contest as an Independent.
Mr Bir Devinder held a rally of his supporters here where thousands of Congress workers passed a resolution to this effect, adding that as an Independent Mr Bir Devinder Singh will also be free to garner support from other parties.
Levelling serious allegations of corruption against a senior functionary of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, he said large amounts of money had exchanged hands in connection with the allocation of ticket. “The talk of huge sum of money having been given to all people who matter in Punjab and Delhi is too loud to ignore. The credibility of the office of the Congress president is being eroded because all
corrupt and indisciplined ministers and MLAs have been given tickets.”
“People will lose faith in the party if sycophants and land mafia managed to the get tickets while real workers are ignored. My supporters have appealed to Mrs Gandhi to reconsider my candidature. In order to restore the faith the people of Mohali district, the Congress high command will accept their plea,” he said.
Showing her entire support to Mr Bir Devinder was OSD to the Chief Minister Lakhvinder Kaur Garcha who spoke vociferously against Congress candidate Balbir Singh Sidhu. With a common foe having united the two, it was quite a sight to watch Ms Garcha and Mr Bir Devinder together addressing their workers.
Till just a few months ago, the two were sworn enemies and would refuse to even share a dais at a public function. Mr Bir Devinder also claimed that he had the support of former MLA and minister in the Congress government Harnek Singh Gharuan.
Encouraged by the overwhelming response from his supporters, members of his family and sisters, Mr Bir Devinder seemed to be mentally prepared to take on the AICC.
“By denying me the ticket, the Congress high command has committed murder of my 30-year-old political career. I have been made to suffer as I did not oblige the power brokers in the party. Even during the militancy period, when many of the senior Congress leaders left the party, I, along with my families, continued to be remain loyal to the Congress. I have faced its consequences,” he said.
His close associates said Mr Bir Devinder was determined to fight elections as an Independent even if it would mean leaving the Congress in Kharar sharply divided, giving a natural advantage to the SAD and other candidates.
In what seemed like an ominous warning of what might become an everyday incident in the days to come, an unsavoury scene was witnessed at the rally. An AICC member Gurinder Singh Bali opposed the decision of Mr Bir Devinder to contest as an Independent. Furious with his remark, Mr Bir Devinder asked him to leave the stage.
While leaving the venue he faced the outburst of Mr Bir Devinder’s supporters who gathered to hit him. The police intervened and Bali was moved to safety.
