New Delhi, September 14: The Congress has begun deliberations on the candidate for the October 11 Gurdaspur Lok Sabha byelection, but the final decision will be taken only after Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh returns from abroad.
Party incharge of Punjab Asha Kumari today told The Tribune, “We are waiting for Capt Amarinder Singh to return. He is expected to come back the day after, following which we will have a meeting and take a view to be forwarded to Congress president and vice-president.”Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Congress has begun eliciting the views of Gurdaspur MLAs on who would be the best suited candidate for the election. Earlier at a meeting called by Punjab Congress president Sunil Jakhar, majority of the seven party legislators from Gurdaspur parliamentary segment had proposed the names of Jakhar himself and Amarinder Singh’s wife and former Patiala MP Preneet Kaur.
Preneet has opted out citing political loyalties to Patiala. Jakhar remains in the fray, being acceptable to most Gurdaspur MLAs, who say he is a good candidate if he is willing to contest.When contacted today on whether he would contest Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat, Jakhar said, “I will abide by the party decision.” Jakhar is not learnt to be keen to contest being an outsider to Gurdaspur, but is unlikely to refuse if the party asks him to fight. Leaders close to Jakhar say he does not want to make the mistake former minister Manish Tewari made by refusing to contest 2014 Lok Sabha election from Ludhiana.
Meanwhile, a section in the Congress is also proposing that former Gurdaspur MP and sitting Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Partap Singh Bajwa should be fielded from the segment.“Bajwa is a former MP and has a good standing there. He can come back and defend the seat for the party,” said a senior Congress leader.The calculation behind proposing Bajwa’s name is if Bajwa wins Gurdaspur byelection, the Congress can send someone else to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.The question is whether Bajwa wants to fight at all following all the bad blood generated between him and Amarinder Singh on the eve of state elections this year. Bajwa’s wife and former MLA Charanjit Kaur is also keen on the seat. Bajwa’s brother and sitting MLA from Qadian Fateh Jung Bajwa is meanwhile lobbying for his son as a nominee for the election.
News Source: http://www.tribuneindia.com
