Jolt for Cong in Patiala

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Patiala, February 26

Considered a Congress stronghold with Capt Amarinder Singh and his wife Preneet Kaur holding the fort, the town continues to disappoint the party.

The Congress lost two municipal corporation seats in the byelection. The debacle comes a day after the Congress lost four municipalities to the SAD and the BJP in the district, winning just one (Patran). SAD candidates Harbhaksh Singh Chahal and Surjit Singh Raju won from Ward Nos. 46 and 8, respectively. Cabinet Minister Surjit Singh Rakhra had led their election campaign.

Congress candidates Vijay Kumar and Sarabjit Singh were backed by Patiala (Urban) MLA Preneet Kaur and Patial (Rural) MLA Brahm Mohindra, respectively. The results come as a big jolt to the Congress.

A senior party leader said: “We need to introspect, but there is no reason to feel disheartened as the anti-people policies of the state government will ensure win for the Congress in the 2017 Assembly elections.”

Rakhra said: “Despite lack of funds in the recent past, the government showed its commitment for the overall development of the city.”

Some solace in Jalandhar

Jalandhar: Kamlesh Grover of the Congress defeated Rajeev Dhingra, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha district president, by a margin of 2,135 votes in the bypoll to ward number 49 in the Jalandhar Municipal Corporation. Kamlesh's family has retained the seat the sixth time in a row. The bypoll was necessitated after her husband Sharwan Grover had died of an illness.

While Kamlesh has been a councillor earlier too, her husband had won the fourth time in June 2012.

(Inputs by Rachna Khaira)