Henry shows his might by getting ticket for son

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 16

With his vote getting cancelled just ahead of the Assembly elections and his son denied the Congress ticket, heavyweight Congress leader Avtar Henry had, perhaps, taken the situation head-on and in a bid to show his might, managed to turn the tide in his favour.

Having contested six times in a row since 1986, Henry perhaps could not imagine himself going out of the power game. Having lost twice in 2007 and 2012, Avtar Henry, who is a transporter and a petrol pump dealer, ensured that if it was not him, his son Bawa Henry could go on and retain the Jalandhar (North) seat.

Henry twice held shows of strength in his office in the last week with AICC leader Sandeep Dikshit and party observer Kiran Walia also visiting him and assuring him support. Things seemed to be going out of his hand, as the party changed the ticket in favour of Raj Kumar Gupta, ex-MLA, snatching it from Tajinder Bittu just three days ago.

But Henry further managed to get the ticket from Gupta, with many even claiming it to be a setting between the two. Both Henry and Gupta term it as a rumour spread by their detractors.