LS elections; Congress leaders’ wait for Ludhiana candidate gets longer

Tribune News Service

Manav Mander

Ludhiana, April 12

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) declaring Ravneet Singh Bittu as candidate from Ludhiana, now district Congress leaders and workers are eagerly awaiting for the party high command to declare its candidate from here.

Everyone in the party is anxious to see, who will be fielded against Bittu, against the person with they use to walk hand-in-hand a few days ago.

The race for the party ticket is also heating up and many senior leaders have claimed the ticket. The names of many senior Congress leaders are making rounds which include Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Sanjay Talwar, Rakesh Pandey, Surinder Dawar and Gurdev Singh Lapran. After Bittu joining the BJP, the name of his cousin Gurkirat Kotli has also started making rounds.

Sanjay Talwar, president of the District Congress Committee (Urban), who is considered as one of the strongest candidate from Ludhiana, said after Bittu left the party, the district unit had requested the high command to choose the candidate from Ludhiana itself. “We have nine party leaders from Ludhiana and everyone will extend full support to whoever is chosen to contest for the seat,” he said.

He added that switching political parties just before the elections is a sad state of affairs. “Only voters can teach such leaders a lesson by not voting in their favour,” he said.

Senior leader and six-time MLA from the Ludhiana North constituency Rakesh Pandey has also claimed the ticket. “I am one of the seniormost leaders from Ludhiana, rest let’s see whom the party chooses. Whatever the choice is, we will accept the high command’s decision,” he said.

Gurdev Singh Lapran, who has been the president of the District Congress Committee (Rural) four times, said he had not claimed the ticket earlier but after Bittu left the party, he has put forward his name. “Everyone was supporting Bittu but he left the party abruptly and now, even I want to fight against him. I was member of the zila parishad and also sarpanch of my village and has support from the rural segment. Even if I am not chosen, I will give full support to the candidate whoever is given the opportunity by the party. Everyone in the party is united and want to defeat turncoats,” he said.

A source from the party said they had heard that Kotli was also in the race after Bittu switched the party. Though Kotli was denying the same, would accept whatever the party decides.

A senior local Congress leader said the party leadership should declare the candidate soon and everyone was getting anxious to know the new name after Bittu’s departure. “The workers are geared up to plan the strategy for which they want to know the name of the leader who will be contesting from Ludhiana,” he said.

Many names doing rounds

Everyone in the Congress is anxious to see, who will be fielded from Ludhiana. The names of many senior Congress leaders are making rounds which include Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Sanjay Talwar, Rakesh Pandey, Surinder Dawar and Gurdev Singh Lapran. After Ravneet Singh Bittu joining the BJP, the name of his cousin Gurkirat Kotli has also started making rounds.

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