Two Congress leaders want Sangrur ticket, may hit poll prospects

PATIALA: Other than taking on rivals in Sangrur, the Congress will also be fighting a battle within its own rank and file in Sangrur, where more than one senior party leader is staking claim to the ticket.

In Sangrur, former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhatal and Kewal Dhillon are vying for the ticket for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Party insiders said denial of ticket to any of these leaders could affect the electoral prospects of the party as any of the two could use their clout in their respective areas to influence voters. While Bhatal is said to hold sway in a number of assembly segments in Sangrur, especially around Lehra Gaga, Kewal Dhillon has a considerable following in areas in and around Sangrur assembly seat.

As Lok Sabha elections in Punjab have been pushed back to May 19, the Congress high command has also deferred the announcement of party tickets in the state.

A source in the party said Bhattal and Dhillon were senior leaders and vehemently lobbying for the party ticket from Sangrur. They said this was despite the party considering to field a Hindu face from the seat, given its caste calculations. Apart from the duo, many local leaders of the Congress have also been camping in Delhi to secure a ticket either for themselves or their kin.

The party's Dhuri MLA, Dalvir Singh Goldy, has already filed papers for his wife to contest the Lok Sabha elections. Jaswinder Dhiman, nephew of Amargarh MLA Surjit Dhiman, has also applied for the party ticket. Cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said, "It is the prerogative of the party high command to pick the contestants. No matter who gets the party ticket, the entire Congress will work collectively for his or her win," he said.