Cong in dilemma as senior leaders miss ticket deadline
Friday, 19/08/2016
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/punjab/politics/cong-in-dilemma-as-senior-leaders-miss-ticket-deadline/282411.html
Chandigarh : Senior leaders of other parties who joined the Congress in recent past have failed to meet the deadline (August 15) to apply for party ticket.
Even as party stalwarts, including Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and former CM Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, have applied well in time, prominent faces who missed the deadline have left the party leadership in a fix.
Singer-turned-politician Hans Raj Hans, who had quit the SAD to join the Congress, said: “I wanted to send a clear message to the masses. I am working for the party. I will contest the elections when there will be no division on the basis of caste.”
Hans, whose name was recommended for nomination to the RS but was dropped at the last moment, said: “Fighting elections does not matter. While other leaders are in the queue, I want to remove the caste tag from politics.”
Similarly, the estranged nephew of the CM and the force behind the People’s Party of Punjab that merged into the Congress, Manpreet Badal said: “It is up to the party leadership to give me ticket from wherever it wants.”
The PPCC chief has expressed surprise over non-submission of application by both leaders. “If I have applied, they both should have applied before the deadline,” he said. On the contrary, multiple members of senior leaders such as Lal Singh, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal and Amrik Singh Dhillon have applied for party ticket.
A senior leader said it was not the end of the selection process. “The party leadership can add or remove anyone, depending upon winability and other factors,” he said.
Many other leaders who had joined the Congress unconditionally have applied. They include former SAD leaders Harinder Singh Mann, Satvinder Kaur Bitti and Deepinder Dhillon. They have applied for Samana, Sahnewal and Dera Bassi ticket, respectively. Former AAP leader Balkar Singh Sidhu has applied for Maur ticket. After merging with the Congress, SAD (Longowal) leaders Simarjit Singh Barnala and Baldev Singh Mann have applied for Dhuri and Sangrur ticket, respectively. Manjeet Singh Jalbuti, who had deserted rebel Congress leader Jagmeet Brar, has applied for Mansa ticket.
