War over presidentship in DCC rages on

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 18

The war over presidentship in the District Congress Committee (DCC) has moved further, with party’s leaders shooting off letters to the party high command.

Senior vice-chairman of the RTI cell of the party Sanjay Sehgal today wrote an open letter to the AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, suggesting him to enforce the “one man-one post” rule in the party.

In an attempt which apparently aims to hit out against DCC (urban) president Rajinder Beri, Sehgal has written, “The Congress leaders, who are holding influential posts by being seated on the chair of the councillor for decades, for rendering services as DCC president for more than three years and now by giving MLA ticket, should rather be thankful to the party for giving so much respect. But such leaders are still looking back to sit on the chair of the DCC president.” While Beri has been a councillor earlier, his wife Uma Beri is now the sitting councillor. He had been given ticket from the Jalandhar Central seat.

Sehgal further writes, “The AICC incorporated the ‘one man-one post’ rule in the party constitution at its Surajkund session in 1994. As the organisation rule was being repeatedly broken in the Jalandhar Congress Committee, PCC Punjab affairs in charge Asha Kumari should ensure that the ‘one-man one-post rule’ is followed here”.

The Congress leader makes more suggestions, “Being staunch Congressmen, it is our duty to follow the party constitution. We should sacrifice personal ambitions when we have already served as president of the DCC. Since the Punjab Assembly polls are over, the party has to focus on the upcoming civic elections which are due this year. A number of experienced youths are willing to contest the civic elections. Leaders, those who will be elected as MLA, should now leave the post of councillor for party workers.”

“As per the constitution and rules of the Indian National Congress, the president of a Congress committee shall have the authority to appoint an acting president for a short period from among the vice-presidents. It is a breach of discipline as per the constitution and rules of the Indian National Congress by deliberately acting or carrying on propaganda against the party programmes. The Congress Committee or office-bearers should not lower the prestige of the party in any way,” he concluded.