Double whammy for AAP on Amritsar Central seat

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 6

A day after AAP announced candidates for three Amritsar Assembly seats, party activists today lodged a strong protest against two of them. They threatened to launch a stir if the two nominees are not replaced.

AAP had yesterday declared Rajinder Kumar as its candidate from Amritsar Central. Kumar, who had fought elections in 1997 on the Sharad Pawar-led National Congress Party’s ticket from Putlighar, was never an AAP volunteer. This was enough reason for the activists to contest his candidature.

The party then zeroed in on veteran Congress leader and former Deputy Speaker Darbari Lal as his replacement. Ironically, Darbari Lal was announced as party candidate even before he could officially join AAP.

The resentment among the volunteers doubled this time. They communicated their displeasure to party leader Durgesh Pathak who held a meeting with their representative Ashok Talwar today.

An activist said: “I fail to understand the selection criteria of the party. Ignoring the volunteers who have been working as loyal soldiers, preference was given to parachute candidates having no credibility.”

Another volunteer said: “It is an open secret that the earlier candidate was close to Congress Amritsar Central candidate OP Soni. This clearly indicates that it was a Congress-sponsored contest.”

Darbari Lal, three-time Congress MLA from Amritsar Central who had joined the BJP in 2014, said his target would be to defeat Soni.

“I received a call from the AAP leadership this morning who honoured me by giving me the party ticket. I am prepared to fight the elections. Soni’s contribution as MLA was negligible. My focus will be to eradicate drug menace which is prevalent in my constituency.”

NRI push to AAP campaign

Bassi Pathana: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Santokh Singh Salana has found supporters in Non-Resident Indians (NRI). A group of youths from Italy have come to India to root for him. Rome-based Kulwinder Singh Dhaliwal of Shadipur village and Manjit Singh of Ganduan Kalan village said they had been working for the party as fund coordinators for a year. “Lakhs of Indians living abroad are impressed with AAP. They and eager to visit the country so that AAP can form the government in Punjab,” Dhaliwal said. tns

Nominee faces protest

Amritsar: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) volunteers opposed party’s Amritsar North candidate Munish Aggarwal. He was earlier associated with the BJP and had close ties with BJP MLA and minister Anil Joshi. Ajit Pal Sharma, an activist, said Aggarwal had been planted by the BJP. “We have lodged our protest and will continue to oppose him,” he said. tns