Infighting in Phagwara congress flares up

JASWANT SINGH GANDAM / RAMAN NEHRA
India Post News Service

PHAGWARA: Infighting in Phagwara unit of the Congress flared up further when Kapurthala District Congress Committee president Balbir Rani Sodhi took a serious note of a meeting by the party’s Mann group and said that she will report this anti-party activity, bordering on virtual revolt, to the party high command.

Cautioning party workers against such divisive elements stoking factional feuds, she said she will send the report both to state and central leadership of the party for taking necessary action against them. ”By warning party high command of facing ‘historic defeat’ in Phagwara in the upcoming assembly by-poll if ticket was allotted to anyone else other than their group leader Joginder Singh Mann, the Mann faction had questioned the capability of party high command in selecting a proper candidate,” Rani Sodhi said.

“These elements should know that they enjoyed offices due to the same high command whose wisdom of decision-making they were doubting. Those who work in the interest of the party never feel insecure and do not indulge in gimmicks. Merit and winnability will decide the allocation of a ticket. After its allocation, every party worker will have to agree to it.”

Asking party workers not to be misled by such elements, Rani Sodhi told the Mann faction that it was time to strengthen the party and not indulge in activities that go against its interest.
It may be mentioned here that the Mann group, led by two Phagwara Block Congress Committees’ presidents (Rural and Urban) Daljeet Singh Raju and Sanjeev Bugga, had held a meeting here August 10 batting for a ticket for Joginder Singh Mann, a three-time MLA from Phagwara and a former minister.

Attended by two PPCC Secretaries, two Zila Parishad members, eight councillors, 65 sarpanches and host of other activists, the meeting had warned senior party leadership of a historic defeat if any ‘parachutist’ was fielded.
The Phagwara seat had fallen vacant after MLA Som Parkash had resigned on becoming MP from Hoshiarpur.
It is likely to have by-polls in October, because of which all factions are flexing their muscles.