Finally, AAP, Congress hold joint public event in Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 24

Nearly two weeks after Manish Tewari was declared the Congress candidate for the city Lok Sabha seat under the INDIA bloc, senior leaders of AAP and the Congress today held a joint public event to offer their support to him.

Leaders and volunteers of the two parties held a joint meeting, which was attended by senior leaders, councillors and others. It was followed by the first joint press conference of INDIA bloc at a hotel in Sector 35 today.

Three days ago, Chandigarh Tribune had reported that AAP, which was aggressive during the recent mayoral poll, was missing from campaigning, while its INDIA bloc partner, the Congress’ canvassing was in full swing.

Downplaying questions on AAP officially offering its support after so many days, Tewari said, “The election in Chandigarh is to be held in the last phase. Whatever work gets done on right time will also have right result.”

While on questions regarding the AAP-Congress alliance in Chandigarh and both parties contesting poll separately in Punjab, he said, “Even in Kerala, the Congress and the Left are fighting elections separately. But when it comes to national politics, they are together.”

On former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal missing from campaigning, he said, “….he is a senior and respected leader and will give his blessings…” To whether he met Bansal to placate him, Tewari replied, “These talks are not held in front of cameras and there are many ways to talk.” Slamming his rival BJP’s candidate Sanjay Tandon, the Congress candidate said, “He should know we are fighting Lok Sabha and not MC elections. He should get himself free from this mindset. When the BJP had its MP and Mayor in the city, Tandon was local unit president. What did he do for Chandigarh?”

The Congress candidate feels leave alone 400 plus seats, the BJP will not even get 150 seats in the Lok Sabha elections. He further alleged if the BJP again came to power, the democracy would be murdered and the 2024 poll would be last elections.

Meanwhile, both parties said they had chalked out a joint strategy for the city election.

Apart from Tewari, AAP in charge for Chandigarh and Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh, Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky, city AAP co-in charge SS Ahluwalia, Mohali MLA Kulwant Singh, city Mayor Kuldeep Kumar, AAP leader Chandermukhi Sharma, the councillors of the Congress and AAP, and others were present. Jarnail Singh said the alliance candidate would win here with a huge margin.

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#Congress #INDIA bloc #Lok Sabha