Cong leaders shocked as Arvinder pulls out
Tuesday, 20/01/2015
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NEW DELHI: The Congress’s decision not to field state unit chief Arvinder Singh in the assembly elections — just 18 days before the polls — may put the party in a spot. Senior party leaders said the timing of the news was more shocking than the fact that Singh will not be contesting.
“The decision to not field Arvinder Singh was taken much before the first list of candidates was announced. However, senior leaders not only failed to announce it on time but also put his name in the first list of candidates,” a party functionary said.
Struggling to make a comeback after a crushing defeat in the 2013 assembly elections and a complete whitewash in 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the party will now have to answer some difficult questions, which will be posed by the electorate in the coming days.
The loyal Congress voters would certainly question if the man who was spearheading the election stepped aside due to a rift within the party or he feared a defeat. The decision on withdrawal of Singh’s candidature came almost a week after the anointment of former Union minister Ajay Maken as chairman of the party’s campaign committee fuelling rumours that Singh is miffed with the party’s decision and has stepped aside to convey his displeasure. Both Singh and Maken, however, deny it.
“There is absolutely no truth in this. It was a strategic decision taken by the Delhi Congress leaders to ensure that the polls are effectively fought and supervised,” Singh said.
