Cong makes all efforts to resolve differences among dissidents

GS Paul

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, January 19

To show a united face, the Congress is making all efforts to resolve the differences between some of its local leaders.

PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh today stated that dissident leaders who had shown rebellious attitude would soon return to the party fold.

“Wait till the last day of withdrawal of nominations,” he said, adding that everyone knows that the Congress was attaining a majority this time in the state and a number of leaders of other parties have joined the Congress.

A number of leaders from the SAD, BJP and AAP joined the Congress today in the presence of Amarinder.

However, after being denied the ticket, friction has come to the fore among some of the Congress leaders.

The major instances are of four constituencies of Amritsar — three urban and one rural.

Congress leader Mandeep Singh Manna and Maninder Singh Palasaur had even filed their nomination papers as Independent candidates from Amritsar East and Amritsar South constituencies.

The party has fielded Navjot Singh Sidhu from Amritsar East and Inderbir Bolaria from Amritsar South.

Both have been induced in the Congress recently. While Sidhu was the BJP MP, Bolaria was the sitting SAD MLA from Amritsar South. Bolaria won the elections with 48,310 votes against Congress candidate Jasbir Singh Dimpa who got 33,254 votes.

Equal rebellious was the attitude of Congress leader Karamjit Singh Rintu after party chose Sunil Datti, former Mayor, against BJP’s Anil Joshi. Rintu had contested against Joshi in 2012. Joshi had won with 62,374 votes and Rintu got 45,394 votes.

Though Rintu has not filed his nomination this time, he is upset with the party’s decision.

From Baba Bakala, Congress leader Ranjit Singh Chhajjalwaddi has fielded his son Satinderjit Singh Chhajjalwaddi as an Independent candidate against party’s incumbent Santokh Singh Bhalaipur.

Chajjalwaddi was elected as an MLA from the Jandiala Guru segment in 1985, from Khadoor Sahib in 1992 and in 1997 as a SAD candidate. Denied the ticket in 2007 poll, he joined the Congress in 2008. He contested the 2012 Assembly elections and with 31,019 votes, he had lost to SAD’s Manjit Singh Manna who got 60,244 votes.

The dissident leaders said the party overlooked the criteria of ‘winnabilty’ and allocated seats to those who had switched over their loyalty for political gains.

Chhajjalwaddi, Manna and Palasaur said they were determined to contest the elections independently from their respective constituencies.