The Hindu : Chautala gives twist to Chandigarh contest

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 23, 2004

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Chautala gives twist to Chandigarh contest

By Rajesh Ahuja

CHANDIGARH, MARCH 22. An interesting battle is likely to be fought among three political veterans for the lone Lok Sabha seat from the Union Territory of Chandigarh even though several other candidates, belonging to smaller parties, may jump into the fray.

As expected, the Bharatiya Janata Party decided to give the party nomination to the former Member of Parliament, Satya Pal Jain, while the Congress renominated the outgoing MP, Pawan Kumar Bansal. However, a twist was added with the Indian National Lok Dal supremo and Haryana Chief Minister, Om Prakash Chautala, announcing that his party would field the former Union Minister, Harmohan Dhawan, for this prestigious seat. All the three veterans have represented the City Beautiful in the past and their campaigning is focused on highlighting their achievements.

Interestingly there was uncertainty and suspense whether Mr.Dhawan, who floated the Chandigarh Vikas Manch after being expelled from the Congress, would jump in the fray or not. Sources close to Mr.Dhawan were maintaining till recently that he would contest on the INLD seat only after a formal assurance was given by the Shiromani Akali Dal leader, Prakash Singh Badal, that he would support him. In fact, Mr.Dhawan had recently met both Mr.Chautala and Mr.Badal at the residence of the Haryana Chief Minister. However, it was not known whether Mr.Badal agreed to give wholehearted support to the INLD in Chandigarh as it has already declared its support to the BJP.

However, Mr.Dhawan told this correspondent that he had decided to contest on the INLD ticket and hinted that the Akali Dal would extend tacit support to him. Interestingly, the president of the local unit of the Akali Dal, Gurpratap Singh Riar, who unwillingly extended support to the BJP nominee under "pressure'' from a senior Akali Dal leader, Kanwaljit Singh, has now retracted and asserts that he would only obey the diktat of Mr.Badal. Mr.Riar is said to be close to Mr.Jain's bete noir and former president of the local unit of the BJP, Dharam Pal Gupta, who had staked his claim for the party ticket but was turned down.

Meanwhile, Mr.Jain appears to be in an upbeat mood as the senior Akali Dal leader and Shiromani Gurudwara Prabandhak Committee supremo, Gurcharan Singh Tohra, has openly come out in his support. Addressing youth workers of the BJP, Mr. Tohra asserted that the alliance between the two parties was a "pious alliance of Hindu-Sikh Unity'' and was applicable throughout the country. The Akali Dal firmly supported the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and the Chandigarh unit of his party would work together with the BJP to ensure the victory of Mr.Jain at the battle of hustings.

Mr.Bansal is addressing several meetings and election rallies wherein he highlights the steps he initiated for the betterment of the City Beautiful. He also utilises political rhetoric to attack the BJP and the NDA regime especially its claims of having ushered in the so-called feel good factor. Since the polling is slated for May 10, the Congress is working overnight to fight both the rival candidates and check their influence amongst the electorate. Insiders say that the campaigning of Mr.Bansal would pick up after the first phase is over as by then the senior Congress leader and former Union Minister, Venod Sharma, would be back from Chattisgarh where he has been made Congress observer. Interestingly, there is no infighting within the Congress ranks this time.

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