Teaming up for tickets, Cong style
: The race for ticket in Congress is turning into a soap opera. The 'one family, one ticket' norm coined by the party during the Vidhan Sabha polls, coupled with party president Rahul Gandhi's recipe to bring in more women and youth, is seeing political dynasties coming for the poll match in pairs.
The Bhullar family has seen a son versus father, brother vs brother tussle for the ticket to contest Khemkaran seat in the 2017 state elections. Former minister Gurchet Bhullar had asked the party to field him to avoid bad blood between his two sons. Finally, the youngest Sukhpal Bhullar, had bagged the ticket beating his father and elder brother, Anoop Bhullar, and won the elections.
In Lok Sabha polls, the Bhullars are again pitted against one another for the Khadoor Sahib seat. "Both me and my father are in the race. The party can choose between youth and experience," says Anoop, 48, who applied for the ticket on Wednesday. Their 78-year-old father will apply on Thursday.
In Ferozepur, it is another father versus son contest. State sports minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi is in contention for the seat along with elder son, Anumit Singh alias Hira Sodhi.
But unlike the last Lok Sabha polls, when the Congress had fielded sitting MLAs from many seats after losing two state polls, this time there is little likelihood of the party giving its sitting MLAs a chance. So, Anumit, 43, too is in the race, as the youth face.
"My son has already applied and I will apply for the ticket on Thursday," Rana Sodhi said. A loyalist of chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh, he is banking on support of Rai Sikhs, the most dominant votebank in the constituency, claiming that he secured the SC status for them in the previous Captain government. But he may have to contend with another fatherson jodi. Sitting MP and Akali Dal rebel Sher Singh Ghubaya has also sent feelers to the Congress. His son, Davinder Ghubaya, had joined the Congress in run-up to the state polls and won the Fazilka seat.
There is also a ‘saas’ and ‘jamai raja’ pairing, from different seats. Former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal is a contender from Sangrur seat while her son-in-law Vikram Bajwa has applied from the Anandpur Sahib seat. Bhattal, who was in Delhi, said she has not applied for the ticket yet. "I will fight the election from Sangrur if the party high command wants me to," she added.
As the party hunts for women candidates, Bhattal may emerge as the likely choice.
In Anandpur Sahib seat, Rajya Sabha MP and senior Congress leader Ambika Soni and son, Anoop Soni, are being seen as the main contenders. Ambika, who had lost the seat in the last polls, said health permitting, she would be ready to contest if asked by the party high command.
On her son, she said, "Anoop helped me during the last LS polls. He is a public-spirited individual and if the party thinks he deserves it, they will field him."
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Sunil Jakhar, who is heading the state election committee, said they will try to follow the 'one family, one ticket' rule to the extent possible.
"We will hold a meeting on February 13 to shortlist the names to be sent to the central election committee," he said.
Morcha constituents have decide to enter mainstream politics as a part of next phase of the protest which is aimed at setting right the political system in Punjab.