Notice to INTUC Himachal chief for anti-party activities

Solan, August 14

Chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee of the Pradesh Congress Committee Viplove Thakur today issued a show-cause notice to state president of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and newly appointed state general secretary Hardeep Bawa for repeatedly indulging in anti-party activities.

The action follows passing of a resolution by the Block Congress Committee, Nalagarh, against his activities. Bawa had spoken against sitting MLA of Nalagarh Lakhwinder Rana and attempted to weaken his image in the constituency.

Bawa, who was expelled from the party in 2017 for contesting against the party’s official candidate Rana in the Vidhan Sabha poll, had been reinducted into the party in 2019 on the condition that he would not contest the Assembly poll and would work towards strengthening the party.

Bawa had been told to respond to the notice within a week otherwise strict action would be taken against him, said Viplove.

Bawa, who is nursing ambitions of contesting the poll slated to take place this year-end, has the support of a faction within the Congress. This has emboldened him to air his resentment against the sitting MLA openly.

Factionalism in the Nalagarh Congress had been bitterly exposed during the recent party’s Yuva Rozgar Yatra where Rana had opposed the yatra which was being planned at the instance of Bawa. It further widened the cracks between the two groups as the yatra’s convener MLA Vikramaditya Singh held a meeting at Bawa’s house where he had put up a show of strength. This was opposed by Rana who had threatened to join the BJP, if remedial steps were not taken to contain Bawa.

Reason

Hardeep Bawa had spoken against the sitting MLA of Nalagarh Lakhwinder Rana and attempted to weaken his image in the constituency