CONG MISUSED POWER TO WIN GURDASPUR: BJP

CHANDIGARH: In a meeting to analyse reasons for a crushing defeat in the Gurdaspur Lok Sabha bypoll, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday reiterated an allegations made by some of the leaders earlier, that there was misuse of government machinery by the Congress.

In the election on October 11, Swaran Salaria of the BJP lost to Congress’ Sunil Jakhar by a margin of 1.93 lakh votes, failing to retain a seat that was held by the BJP’s Vinod Khanna until his death in April.

Office-bearers of the BJP state unit, its core group members, and former ministers attended the meeting chaired by unit chief Vijay Sampla. Senior leaders who were made in-charge of the nine assembly constituencies falling in the parliamentary segment also attended.

It came up that the civil administration and police “helped” the Congress candidate Jakhar, who had been moved from his segment Ab oh ar, where he lost the assembly polls early this year, to Gurdaspur. Sampla said BJP workers were intimidated by government officials. “Congress government tried to settle scores with leaders of the previous Akali-BJP government and it was evident during the polls.”

“BDOs, district education officers, tehsildars, naib tehsildars, executive officers of municipal councils and notified area committees, SHOs and other junior officers posted in Gurdaspur helped the Congress candidate,” said Sampla.

He underlined that the BJP lodged 68 complaints with the Election Commission.