No rift over candidature, says Ambika Soni
Wednesday, 26/03/2014
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20140326/punjab.htm#1
Senior Congress leader Ambika Soni today said sitting MP Ravneet Bittu, whom she has replaced as party candidate from the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, was taken into confidence before her candidature was finalised.
Talking to mediapersons here, Ambika Soni, political secretary to Congress president, said: “It was only after Bittu accepted the decision that my candidature was announced. There is no rift on the matter.” On “indecent” comments made about her age by her opponent Prem Singh Chandumajra, Ambika Soni said she accepted her age with grace. “The comments show how disrespectful Chandumajra is towards women who will teach him a lesson at the hustings,” she said. The Congress leader said the people of Punjab were fed up with the Akalis and they were ready to express their anger by voting against them.
In Anandpur Sahib, factionalism in the Congress came to fore when party’s Anandpur Sahib candidate Ambika Soni reached here today.
Former Anandpur Sahib MLA and senior Congress leader KP Rana prevented newly appointed district president Harbhag Singh Saini from occupying a chair during Soni’s press conference at Anandpur Sahib.
When Saini protested, Soni asked all leaders to keep calm following which the district president sat on the chair. Rana had opposed the appointment of Saini terming him an “outsider”.
Party leaders, including Chamkaur Sahib MLA Charanjit Channi, district president Harbhag Singh, former minister Ramesh Dutt Sharma and KP Rana welcomed her at different places. Soni also paid obeisance at a temple at Jatwad village, near Nurpur Bedi. Sitting MP Ravneet Singh Bittu was conspicuous by his absence.
Ambika Soni said she was confident of her victory as she had been nurturing the Anandpur Sahib constituency for sometime. On party’s decision to field prominent leaders, Soni said the Congress high command was getting constant feedback that the people of Punjab were fed up with the SAD-BJP’s policies, including imposition of fresh taxes. So it was decided to field stalwarts to regain the faith of public, she said. “Since the announcements, there has been a dramatic change in the political scenario. While the morale of Congress cadre has increased, the SAD-BJP leaders were looking ways to minimise the margin of their defeat,” she added.
