The Hindu : Congress may not field reluctant candidates

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 07, 2004

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Congress may not field reluctant candidates

By Our Staff Correspondent

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 6. The Congress high command is unlikely to force any reluctant party leader to contest the coming Lok Sabha elections. Besides capacity to win, the political and personal situations of the prospective nominee will be taken into account before allotting a party ticket.

This was disclosed by the Congress leader and Punjab Deputy Chief Minister, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, while participating in `Kharian Kharian' programme to be aired by leading Punjabi Television Channel, `Lashkara TV' on March 7.

A release from the channel's head office in Ludhiana said that Ms. Bhattal was reacting to the demand being raised by her intra-party opponents including the Chief Minister, Amarinder Singh, that she must contest from the Sangrur Parliamentary seat.

Describing it as her opponent's scheme to push her out from the reckoning for an alternative to the present Chief Minister, she said, "How can I contest Lok Sabha when a corruption case planted against me is pending in the court.

Moreover, my Assembly constituency falls in Patiala Parliamentary Constituency and not in Sangrur.''

Though she admitted "good social relations'' with the Opposition party leaders, Ms. Bhattal denied the charges that she had an understanding with a top leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) to foment trouble for the Amarinder Singh Government.

She said that rather it were some of her opponents in the party who were in league with the BJP, Badal and Tohra and to which she claimed possession of "solid proofs''.

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