Tough ride for Congress candidate Tajinder Bittu

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 12

It will not be an easy ride for Congress candidate Tajinder Bittu, who has got ticket from Jalandhar (North), as he is sure to face dissidence not just from former Congress minister Avtar Henry but also former MLA Raj Kumar Gupta.

As the news spread, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, son of Delhi CM Shiela Dikshit, went to Henry’s place and tried to placate him, but failed in doing so. The party workers, who had gathered there in large numbers, gave him two-day time to get the decision reverted. Henry has so far maintained that he would go by what majority of workers would suggest.

Workers, however, continued to allege that Bittu was an outsider in this constituency. He is an agent of the SAD. If the ticket is not changed in two days, we will plan future course of action. There have been reports of Henry mulling plans to shift to the AAP or contest independently. The AAP ticket currently is with businessman Gulshan Sharma.

Four MC councillors, PPCC secretary Balwant Shergill, ex-councillors Mahesh Puri Pappi, Gian Chand Sodhi, Avtar Singh, Haripal Sondhi, Nirmal S Nimma, comrade Raj Kumar, Rakesh Kumar Gannu, Desh Deepak, Om Parkash and Surinder Kaur were among those who resigned today in support of Henry.

Likewise, former MLA Raj Kumar Gupta (80), who too was a claimant of the seat has called a meeting of his supporters tomorrow noon to discuss his plan. His son Pawan Gupta (51), who is two-time party councillor, said, “The entire Aggarwal community associated with us is angry at ticket not coming to my father. This will affect the party in two constituencies –Jalandhar (Central), where my father was MLA in 2002, and Jalandhar (North), where we had been waiting to get ticket. Our community has 20,000 voters in both the constituencies.”

He further rued, “We were hoping that we would be adjusted in Jalandhar (North). But today, the party announced ticket for Tajinder Bittu, which is not acceptable to us. If our supporters suggest us to contest independently, we may go by them.”