Cong. infighting triggers defections in Chandigarh

By Our Special Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, MAY 1. Even as the Congress high command is in a quandary over appointment of a full-time president for its Chandigarh unit, infighting within the ranks has not only further intensified but also triggered off defections of office-bearers at the district and block levels to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

According to informed sources, the party high command is reviewing the panel of names for the presidentship submitted by the local MP and AICC secretary, Mr. Pawan Kumar Bansal, following a spate of protests by the other factions about the ``suitability'' of his nominee, Mr. B. B. Bahl, a local hotelier.

A senior local leader said that Congressmen would not tolerate the appointment of any person who can be manoeuvred against Mrs. Sonia Gandhi by some leaders in Delhi.Following the reported uncertainty over Mr. Bahl's name, the party high command is understood to have asked for a few other names from different factions.

What is even more intriguing is the sudden defection by several office-bearers including secretaries of the Chandigarh unit, district and block presidents to Mr. Sharad Pawar's outfit citing unhappiness with Mr. Bansal's `style of functioning' and his alleged `partisan' attitude.It may be recalled that two Vice- Presidents of the Chandigarh unit, Mr. S. M. Khan, and Mr. Tarlok Singh, had also left the Congress after Mr. Bansal was elected MP.

A senior leader quipped that the NCP, which had no base in Chandigarh, was fast gaining ground because those who were dissatisfied with the local MP's ``utter neglect'' were finding fresh pastures in Mr. Pawar's party. It was only after these defections that the president of the Chandigarh unit of the NCP, Gurbachan Singh, announced a complete list of office-bearers of the Chandigarh unit of the party.

Another office-bearer, while stating that these defections were a new phenomena, denied counter-allegations by the Bansal faction that these people were supporters of a former president of the Chandigarh unit. They argued that the party had remained in tact when Mr. Venode Sharma, former Union Minister, was at the helm of affairs.

Meanwhile, the rift between the Venode Sharma and Harmohan Dhawan factions widened over a meeting convened by close supporters of the local MP to redress the grievances of the residents of urban villages apparently in the name of the Chandigarh unit even though no formal invitation was reportedly issued by the CTCC office. They said they had not received any invitation to participate in the meeting. Interestingly, the acting president of the Chandigarh unit, Mr. Kulbhushan Gupta, attended the meeting.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : National
Previous : Judge awaits CJ order to hear Laloo's case
Next     : HP Governor to hold addl. charge of Punjab