Cong MLA’s meeting with NC ex-chief kicks up row

Parvesh Sharma

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, August 20

AICC spokesman and Sangrur MLA Vijay Inder Singla late last evening visited the house of SAD councillor and former chief of the Sangrur Nagar Council (NC) Iqbaljit Punia.

The visit has triggered off speculation about plans to change the present SAD president of the NC, Ripudaman Singh Dhillon.

Though after the hour-long meeting at the residence of Punia in Punia colony, both Singla and Punia denied any plans to change the current president, some councillors on anonymity confirmed that some Congress councillors were in touch with some disgruntled SAD councillors.

“Punia called me to his residence for a cup of tea. There is nothing political in it. Being the MLA, it is my duty to visit the house of locals if they want to have tea with me,” said Singla.

There are a total of 27 councillors in the Sangur NC. In the 2015 elections, SAD-supported candidates won in 13 wards, six wards went to the BJP, three to Independents and five to the Congress.

Sources said that some SAD councillors were not satisfied with the working of the current president and they have been repeatedly conveying their resentment to everyone during the meetings of the NC.

“It was a tea party and nothing more. As I am going to the US for a month next week, I thought of having a small party in my house before my trip. There was nothing political in the party,” said Iqbaljit Punia, former president of the NC.

NC president Ripudaman Dhillon said that he was aware that some councillors from his party were working against him.

“As the majority is with me, I don’t have to worry. We will prove our majority whenever any authority asks us to,” he said.