MLAs denied cabinet berths, now sons seek Cong tickets

DISSENTING NOTES Amloh MLA Randeep Singh Nabha challenges Captain Amarinder Singh and wife Preneet Kaur’s claim over home turf Patiala

CHANDIGARH: The resentment over denial of cabinet berths continues to simmer in the Congress. Senior MLAs on Thursday reminded the party of its “one family, one ticket” rule, while some others sought ticket for sons under the tweaked “one MP, one MLA” formula.

Disgruntled over his seniority being ignored for a cabinet berth, Amloh MLA Randeep Singh Nabha has challenged chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh and wife Preneet Kaur’s claim over home turf Patiala.

A known Captain-baiter, Nabha submitted his application for the Patiala Lok Sabha seat at the Congress Bhawan here. On three-time former Patiala MP Preneet being the contender from the seat contested since 1999, Nabha said the party had coined the “one family, one ticket” rule in state polls. “Going by the norm, the CM is already an MLA from the Patiala Urban seat and any other member of the family canother not qualify for a ticket,” the fourtime MLA said.

Nabha had last month called the CM “inaccessible” in a prebudget meeting with legislators. Aggrieved at his seniority being ignored for a cabinet berth, he had also met Congress president Rahul Gandhi in April last year to air his resentment along with senior MLA Rakesh Pandey, who applied on Thursday for the Ludhiana seat.

Another disgruntled MLA Sangat Singh Gilzian did not throw his hat in the ring but his son Daljit Gilzian and brother Mohinder Singh Gilzian, president of Indian Overseas Congress in the US, applied for Anandpur Sahib seat. Saini, Gujjar and Lubana communities among backward castes (OBCs) are staking a claim saying the OBCs from Punjab are not getting any representation in the Lok Sabha after Hoshiarpur seat has been reserved for the SCs. Daljit said many assembly seats of Anandpur, including Mohali, have large population of Lubana community.

The son of another disgruntled MLA, Surjit Dhiman, who had quit party posts after being denied a cabinet berth, has applied for the Sangrur seat. Jaswinder Dhiman, 33, said he has applied for the ticket to represent OBCs.

MOHINDRA’S SON APPLIES FOR BATHINDA SEAT

Among son-rises is also health minister Brahm Mohindra’s son, Mohit Mohindra, who on Thursday applied for a ticket to contest from Bathinda. The 28-year-old lawyer, who is practising in the Punjab and Haryana high court, said he has been handling the parliamentary constituency as Punjab Youth Congress general secretary. While both the Congress and Akalis have been traditionally fielding Sikh faces from the seat, Mohit said: “The youth do not vote on caste or religion lines. Also, there is huge anti-incumbency against sitting MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal and her party.”

All the four sitting MPs of the party, state Congress chief Sunil Jakhar, Gurjit Aujla, Ravneet Bittu and Chaudhary Santokh Singh, too have submitted applications from their respective seats. Amardeep Singh Cheema, chairman of the Punjab Health Systems Corporation, has applied for a ticket to contest the Gurdaspur seat. He is son of trade unionist MM Cheema. He was in Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan as national vice-chairman for two consecutive terms.

Though February 7 was tentatively pegged as the last date to submit applications, it is likely to be extended as some party stalwarts are still to file their papers. A total of 125 applications were received till Thursday. Party sources said the application process is only a formality as there may be few surprises in store.

SON OF SURJIT DHIMAN, WHO HAD QUIT PARTY POSTS AFTER BEING DENIED A CABINET BERTH, HAS APPLIED FOR SANGRUR SEAT