Illegal mining charge haunts Cong’s top bypoll ticket-seeker

SHAHKOT (JALANDHAR): The infighting within the local Congress ranks ahead of the Shahkot bypoll came to the fore on Monday, after its five party leaders, contenders for the byelection, came out against their own party leader Hardev Singh Laddi Sherowalia, one of the main contenders for the bypoll, and asked the high command to give ticket to a non-controversial candidate. Sherowalia had contested the 2017 assembly elections from Shahkot, but lost by a margin of 4,500 votes.

The move came after a sting video, in which Sherowalia was allegedly seen demanding a share from sand mining contractors to extract sand from a legal quarry at Kaimvala village. The 13-minute video reportedly recorded in November last year, was released by Jasveer Singh, an owner of the six-acre land where the quarry is situated at Kaimvala village.

Calling themselves as ticket aspirants from Shahkot, Congress leaders, including Brij Bhupinder Singh, Captain Harminder Singh, Rajanbir Singh, Dr Navjot Dahiya and Puran Singh Thind, called an urgent press conference in the evening.

The Congress leaders, however, did not directly name Sherowalia, but said that after reports and a video, showing one of the leaders from Shahkot involved in illegal sand mining and demanding a share from sand mining contractors erupted, they want the party to give a ticket to a candidate with a clean image.

“To show unity among Shahkot leaders, we have passed a resolution asking our senior leadership that the party ticket should be given to a non-controversial candidate with a clean image,”

the resolution reads. Dahiya said that allegations can be raised against anyone, but the party should not give a ticket to the person till one did not come out clean.

CHARGE REFUTED

Sherowalia said it is mere insecurity among the other party leaders that he will get the ticket and win.“in the video, I was settling a case of payment between labour and contractors and it has been shown differently. It is a conspiracy to malign my image and in an effort that I don’t get the ticket. Also, the man who made the video is the AAP worker,” he said.