Pawan Bansal, aides skip key Congress meeting in Chandigarh

Sandeep Rana

Chandigarh, April 15

Apparently miffed at senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal not given ticket, the former MP and his supporters, including councillors, skipped the first major meeting of leaders convened at the party office to chalk out poll strategy with the city Lok Sabha seat candidate, Manish Tewari.

Sources said the former Union minister had not been answering phone calls and messages of Tewari and city party chief HS Lucky. Tewari’s conciliatory post on his X handle or phone calls made to four-time Chandigarh MP Bansal seem to have got no response from the latter so far. Replying to media queries in this regard, Tewari said, “It is first day today. All will join gradually because all love the country, which has to be protected (from BJP).” Lucky explained, “Bansalji will step in at right time. May be he was too busy to answer my phone call yesterday.”

Congress councillor Gupreet Singh Gabi, who, too, skipped the meeting and is close to Bansal, said, “Workers are disappointed. They are not able to digest that he has not been declared the candidate for the city LS seat. They also feel now, Punjab workers will get extra attention here.”

When contacted, Bansal said, “I am with the party and will always stand by it.”

AAP leaders absent too

• City AAP leaders, including Dr SS Ahluwalia, who were also supposed to be present at the meeting, were conspicuous by their absence.
• “Though they were invited, they did not come as they had a few reservations coming to the party office, like the backdrop of our conference dais has the pictures of all senior Congress leaders, but not the INDIA bloc candidate. Soon, all such things will be worked out and a meeting convened to chalk out a strategy for the election,” said a senior Congress leader.

How ex-MP fared in previous LS elections

• 1991: Bansal (Cong) beat Harmohan Dhawan (Janta Dal)
• 1996: Satya Pal Jain (BJP) beat Bansal
• 1998: Jain beat Bansal
• 1999: Bansal beat Krishan Lal Sharma (BJP)
• 2004: Bansal beat Jain
• 2009: Bansal beat Jain
• 2014: Kirron Kher (BJP) beat Bansal
• 2019: Kher beat Bansal