Cong factionalism to the fore in Bathinda ZP chairperson polls
BATHINDA: Intense factionalism in the Congress and protests marked the elections of chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Bathinda zila parishad on Friday, even as all 24 members present who participated in the process through a voice vote are from the party. Manjit Kaur was elected as chairperson and Guriqbal Singh Chahal as vicechairperson. The chairperson’s post is reserved for a woman.
The winning faction reportedly owes allegiance to Punjab revenue minister and Rampura Phul MLA Gurpreet Singh Kangar; the second group which claims that it lost is said to enjoy the backing of Congress’ Bhucho MLA Pritam Singh Kotbhai.
The protests were so widespread that police had to detain some of the Congress leaders. Slogans were raised outside the conference hall against Kangar. Later some from the losing side, along with other Congress leaders, also blocked the Bathinda Goniana road. Protesters were taken to Thermal police station and released later.
The losing faction had put up Sukhpal Kaur as their candidate for chairperson. “Members supporting me had demanded that the election be conducted through secret ballot, as some of them were being pressured by the opposing group. Despite this demand, officials went ahead and conducted the voting through voice vote,” Kaur claimed.
Kangar, against whom some of the protesters had raised slogans, said, “I am not aware of what happened during polls. Both the groups are from the Congress and I have equal respect for their sentiments.”
Bathinda SDM Amrinder Singh Tiwana who presided over the poll process said the majority of the members had demanded that elections be held through voice vote and he had followed the mandate.
KANGAR AND KOTBHAI GROUPS IN CONGRESS AT LOGGERHEADS; ELECTIONS HAD NOT BEEN HELD FOR A YEAR SINCE MEMBERS, ALL FROM PARTY, WERE ELECTED IN SEPT 2018
POLLS COULDN’T BE HELD IN OCT, NOV
The district has 16 zila parishad members, while nine chairpersons of block samitis also vote to elect the chairperson and the vice-chairperson. Elections could not take place in October and November as the 25 members, all from Congress, remained divided into factions. This was the state of affairs even as these 25 had been elected in September 2018.