BJP’s emphatic win in Pathankot

Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Pathankot, February 26

The BJP won a clear majority in the Pathankot Municipal Corporation (MC) elections. Of the total 50 wards, polls were held for 49. The BJP won 29 seats, the Congress 11 and Independents nine.

Polling in ward No. 30 was countermanded a few days ago because of the death of the BJP candidate. The Congress performance was disastrous. Senior leaders blamed “faulty ticket distribution” by PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa and Pathankot DCC chief Anil Vij for the fiasco.

Senior leaders, such as Raman Bhalla, were cold-shouldered and his loyalists denied the party nomination. The Congress entered the poll arena a house divided and hence faced an ignominious defeat. In contrast, the BJP quashed all specks of rebellion that surfaced during ticket distribution and put up a joint show. The BJP had three mayoral candidates but the Congress went into the poll battle without any leader. With the PPCC chief not canvassing for the party candidates, the Congress ran a weak campaign.

Vij’s efforts did not pay off. He campaigned vigorously for his candidates. But activities of dissidents nullified his efforts. The SAD failed to reach a seat agreement with the BJP and went into the polls alone, contesting 15 seats. But the party failed to win a single seat. All three mayoral candidates of the BJP, Anil Vasudeva (Ward No.17), Anil Rampal (Ward No. 10) and Satish Mahajan (Ward No 9), registered impressive victories.