Devinder Singh Babla blames Chandigarh Congress chief for leaders’ exit

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 14

In a fresh trouble to the Chandigarh Congress ahead of the Municipal Corporation poll, Leader of the Opposition Devinder Singh Babla has fired a salvo at the president of the party’s city unit, Subhash Chawla, holding him responsible for leaders leaving the Congress.

Your job to keep all together: Babla

Will you ask everything from Netaji (Pawan Bansal)? Netaji is not telling all to leave the party. You are the president of the party, it is your responsibility to keep everyone together. Devinder Singh Babla, Leader of Opposition

Councillor Babla wrote to the party chief, “I am a true sipahi of the party. It hurts to see fellow colleagues leaving us. You are ‘General’, fauj gets courage with its sipahis. Will you ask everything from Netaji (Pawan Bansal)? Netaji is not telling all to leave the party. You are the president of the party, it is your responsibility to keep everyone together.”

Referring to several leaders joining the AAP yesterday, the Congress councillor further wrote, “I am hurt that our fellow party men have left the Congress. The party leadership must ponder over it. Think something Chawla ji; the party’s leadership is in your hands.”

BJP, AAP leaders want to join Cong: Chawla

Some BJP and AAP leaders want to join us. Four councillors are asking for the ticket. Should I give them the ticket and not to the old party workers, who have been working hard. Subhash Chawla, President, city Congress

Babla wrote this on the city Congress WhatsApp group. Chawla later replied to him. The chat has gone public.

The city party chief wrote back, “I can double the strength of Congress leaders. Some BJP and AAP leaders want to join us. Even four councillors are asking for tickets. What do you want? Should I give them tickets and not to the old party workers, who have been working hard.”

Babla retorted, “You should pay attention to people leaving our party, rather than bringing in others.”

Several Congress leaders, including former councillor Chandermukhi Sharma, former president of the city Congress Pardeep Chhabra, office-bearers and other senior leaders, have joined the AAP in the recent times. This has widened the rift in the party’s city unit. The MC polls are due in December.

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