Factionalism a challenge for Manpreet Badal
Saturday, 17/12/2016
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WHILE A SECTION OF CONG LEADERS DISTRIBUTED SWEETS TO CELEBRATE MANPREET’S CANDIDATURE, MANY WERE ABSENT.
BATHINDA: Having been fielded as party candidate from Bathinda (urban) assembly segment, senior Congress leader Manpreet Singh Badal might find it a daunting task to quell dissent and bring the faction-ridden party on to one platform.
A section of Congress leaders of the city on Friday, distributed sweets to celebrate Manpreet’s candidature from this seat at the party office.
However, Congress leaders considered close to former Bathinda (urban) MLA Harminder Singh Jassi, including party’s city unit president Mohan Lal Jhumba, were not present.
Party leaders including KK Aggarwal, Inderjit Singh Sahni and Ashok Kumar led the meeting in which speakers stressed on unity among Congress workers. Aggarwal, when asked about the absence of some city leaders, said that all party leaders and workers were united.
Jassi, who remained Bathinda (urban) MLA from 2007-2012, was a ticker seeker from here.
Last month, Jassi, in a show of strength had held a meeting of his supporters in which Jhumba and five out of nine party councillors in municipal corporation Bathinda were present.
Jassi had blamed Manpreet for behaving like “owner of Bathinda urban assembly constituency”. In a meeting Jassi’s supporters had even threatened to resign from the party, if not given party ticket from the seat. Neither Jassi nor Jhumba could be contacted despite repeated attempts.
Though, councilors Jugraj Singh, Jasvir Kaur, Nirmal Kaur and Jagroop Singh Gill have supported Manpreet’s candidature. Gill who himself was a ticket aspirant from the seat, said that even though he was ticket seeker he will whole heartedly campaign for the party candidate.
Meanwhile, Manpreet’s team has started the campaign in the city.
Manpreet is expected to formally launch the campaign from Monday by holding a road show.
In a gesture to show a united face and woo supporters, Manpreet is also expected to meet those who had applied for the ticket from the seat.
Manpreet, who lost the 2014 parliamentary polls to union food processing industries minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal by a narrow margin of 19, 000 votes, had gained a lead of over 29, 000 votes from Bathinda (urban) segment, a part of Bathinda parliamentary constituency.
