Cong rebels give BJP edge in Kangra

Ashok Raina 

Advertisement

Having jumped on the Congress bandwagon after failing to get the BJP ticket, sitting Independent MLA from Kangra Pawan Kajal is facing opposition from the Congress rebels, giving a clear edge to the saffron party.

Kajal, who had won as a BJP rebel in the 2012 assembly elections, was keen on returning to the party, but after he was denied the ticket, he chose to switch sides.

As such the fight will be between two youngsters Sanjay Chaudhary of the BJP and Pawan Kajal, but the Congress rebels will certainly play a spoilsport.

Kajal had won the 2012 elections with a slender margin of merely 563 votes. Kangra has had a history of electing MLAs from all parties, including the BSP, in 2007.

Kajal is facing opposition not just from Dr Rajesh Sharma, who was a front-runner for the Congress ticket, but also from former Congress MLA Choudhary Surender Kumar. With the Congress cadres not supporting Kajal, the going could be pretty tough for him even if Rajesh Sharma, who has filed his nomination papers as an Independent, withdraws from the contest.

Kajal, who was once close to Transport Minister GS Bali, changed loyalties and got the ticket with the blessings of Virbhadra Singh, it is said.

Another Congress rebel Raj Kumar Jaswal, Kangra block president of the party, has also entered the fray as an Independent. The two Congress rebels pose a threat to Kajal's victory.

Kajal will try to use the development plank in his favour. Residents of the Changer belt of the segment too laud him for providing hand pumps in the area. Parikshit Raj, a retired Xen, PWD, spoke about the poor condition of the Civil Hospital, Kangra, which was officially upgraded to a 100-bed hospital during the BJP government in 2000. The hospital has only two doctors and six posts of doctor are lying vacant, while the ultrasound machine is gathering dust, he lamented.Tilak Soni, a resident of Halerd Kalan panchayat, alleged that Kajal had used development funds in selective panchayats. The MLA had promised to set up a community hall on the bypass, which he did not fulfill.

DS Thakur, president, Senior Citizens Forum, said nothing was done to curb the monkey menace.