Congress ticket aspirants from Fatehpur put up show of strength

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, July 6

The political affairs committee (PAC) of the Congress today met in Dharamsala under the chairmanship of party in-charge Rajiv Shukla. The meeting was scheduled to decide candidates for the forthcoming three byelections in the state – two byelections of Fatehpur and Jubbal Kotkhai and parliamentary election of Mandi.

While the meeting was being held various Congress leaders, aspirant of party ticket from Fatehpur assembly constituency, gathered at a private hotel where the meeting was being held. Bhawani Pathania, son of former Congress minister Sujjan Singh Pathania on whose demise byelections of Fatehpur were being held, came with his supporters who raised slogans in his favour.

Various other Congress leaders from Fatehpur also came with their supporters and demanded that the party ticket should be given to a common party worker.

While talking to newsmen, Congress workers from Fatehpur said in case a leader was forced on them and ticket was not given to a common worker of Fatehpur, they would oppose the candidate.

Sudhir Sharma, former minister and AICC secretary, also presented a show of strength outside the private hotel where the meeting was held. Sudhir Sharma has been targeted by some state leaders after the Congress lost Dharamsala MC elections. Sources here also said that some Congress leaders objected to certain posters of some leaders at the venue of the meeting.

They said during the meeting, no consensus could be built on the candidates for byelections. The names of Bhawani Pathania from Fatehpur, Rohit Thakur from Jubbal Kotkhai and Kaul Singh Thakur from Mandi parliamentary were discussed. However, the political affairs committee has decided to wait for the BJP to declare its candidates before Congress candidates were finalised.

They said party leaders suggested that price rise, unemployment and preference being given to two assembly constituencies of Siraj, represented by CM Jai Ram Thakur, and Dharampur, represented by minister for IPH Mahender Thakur, as compared to other areas could be raked up.

The sources said differences between various factions of Congress leaders also came to the fore during the meeting.