Big ‘vacuum’ in Sonepat Congress after MLA Surender Panwar’s arrest by ED

Mukesh Tandon

Panipat, July 24

The Congress has got two major setbacks within weeks in Sonepat. After Mayor Nikhil Madaan joined the BJP on July 11, sitting Congress MLA Surender Panwar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) two days ago. After these two incidents, a big ‘vacuum’ has been created in the Congress camp for the Sonepat Assembly seat. To fill this ‘vacuum’ at this stage will be a big challenge for the party leaders.

Countdown for the Assembly elections in the state has begun and all political parties have started preparations for the same.

Mayor Nikhil Madaan, who contested elections on the Congress ticket in 2020 and won by defeating the BJP-JJP coalition candidate Lalit Batra with a margin of 13,870 votes, joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister and former Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and BJP state president Mohan Lal Badoli along with his supporters at Haryana Bhawan in Delhi on July 11.

After this, the Congress got a major setback when the ED arrested Sonepat’’s sitting MLA Surender Panwar in a money laundering case of Rs 26 crore and illegal mining on Saturday. The special court in Ambala has sent him in nine-day ED custody.

According to political pundits, Sonepat is considered to be a Punjabi-dominated seat. Madaan was the Punjabi face of the party while Panwar was also considered to be a strong face. Even a leader of the party, on the condition of anonymity, said at present there was no big face in the party for the Assembly polls. However, sympathy is with Panwar after his arrest.

Another party leader said there was no second line of leadership in the city but in such conditions the party may have plan-B. According to him, the party may field Panwar’s daughter-in-law Samiksha Panwar, wife of Lalit Panwar, in the political arena. She is the daughter of a renowned Punjabi family of the city. In such conditions, she would get not only the sympathy of voters but also a big support from the Punjabi vote bank.

Political pundits say Sonepat Assembly seat is an important seat for the ruling BJP as well as for the Congress. Though the BJP has got one more face as a ticket aspirant, a big vacuum has been created in the Congress camp after the arrest of Panwar.

Sitting MLA in trouble

Sitting Sonepat legislator Surender Panwar was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the wee hours of Saturday in illegal mining and money laundering case.