Zila parishad chief, 6 members join Cong

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, April 20

In a major boost to the Congress, the chairperson and six members of the Yamunanagar zila parishad joined the party in the presence of Kumari Selja during a programme at Salempur Khadar village under the Jagadhri Assembly constituency on Saturday.

Renu Bala, zila parishad chairperson; Rishi Pal, her husband who was district president of the SC Morcha (BJP); and Shamim Khan, Karamvati, Shanki, Navab Singh, Manisha Walia and Ashok Kumar joined the Congress under the leadership of Akram Khan, former Deputy Speaker of Haryana Assembly and Congress leader.

The six members of the zila parishad had left the BSP a few months ago.

The political development will be a boost for Selja, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election on the Congress ticket from the Ambala (reserved) parliamentary constituency, as Akram Khan, Renu Bala and Rishi Pal have a good grip on voters in the Jagadhri, Yamunanagar and Sadhaura Assembly constituencies of Yamunanagar district.

Selja said the Congress would win all 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana as the voters of the state would not get trapped in the false promises of the BJP this time. “No girdawari has so far been conducted to assess the losses caused to wheat and other crops by hailstorms. The BJP insults farmers by giving them a compensation of Rs 10 for the crop damage. The Congress, if voted to power in the Assembly elections, will waive off farm loan within 10 days of taking charge,” said Selja.

She took part in a number of programmes and public meetings in Yamunanagar district on Saturday.