Phagwara byelection: Congress, BJP in fix over ticket aspirants

PHAGWARA: With announcement of byelections, lobbying has intensified for

Phagwara

seats with Congress and BJP facing similar challenges with regard to tickets. A similar challenge is also likely to come up for Punjab Democratic Alliance (PDA).


For BJP ticket,

Hoshiarpur

MP and minister of state (MoS) Som Parkash, who was an MLA from the seat before getting elected as MP, is lobbying for ticket to his wife Anita Som Parkash. In case he succeeds, then Phagwara seat will be unique in a way that Congress will not have the exclusive advantage of being a ‘party in power’ as Parkash himself is in power. After becoming MLA in 2012 from Phagwara, Som Parkash has created his own network in villages even as a major section of the local unit is also with him. In the

Lok Sabha

elections he got a lead of over 5,100 votes from Phagwara assembly segment.

Meanwhile, sources revealed that former MoS and Hoshiarpur MP Vijay Sampla, a bête noire of Som Parkash, is also trying for a ticket for his son Sahil Sampla. In 2012, Sampla himself wanted to contest from here but Som Parkash managed to get the ticket. In 2017 too, the latter had faced opposition from Sampla but Parkash not only retained his ticket but edged out Sampla for parliamentary ticket in 2019. It is learnt that Sampla’s main argument is that ticket to his son would amount to his political rehabilitation.

Former Punjab SC commission chairman Rajesh Bagha is also in the race for the ticket. He is mainly banking on the factors that he is young and has grew within party ranks over the years.

In Congress also, there are three main contenders. Apart from former minister Joginder Singh Mann, who had represented the constituency thrice and had been holding shows of strength for the last few weeks and aggressively lobbying for a ticket, a serving IAS officer is also in the fray. Sources in the party and official circles revealed that certain local officers had been appointed according to this bureaucrat’s recommendations and he had been very active meeting local leaders. However, the officer has not yet resigned and is waiting for a final decision.

District Congress president Balbir Rani Sodhi is also in the fray. She was a contender for party ticket in 2017 also but the party preferred Mann. She has also not been given any other public office and she is now actively lobbying for the ticket.

If all is not well in the major parties, conditions do not appear different in Punjab Democratic Alliance. BSP has been contesting the election and has a strong hold. However, PDA alliance partner LIP is also staking claim on the ticket here as its local leader Jarnail Nangal contested in 2017 as AAP candidate.