Lok Sabha elections: Kainth bounces back to Congress

CHANDIGARH: Satish Kumar Kainth, who contested the mayoral elections on BJP’s behalf against sitting mayor Rajesh Kumar, made his return to the Congress fold along with his supporters in the presence of the party’s local leadership at the Congress Bhawan here on Friday.

Sources revealed that Congress media coordinator Mukesh Bassi played a pivotal role in bringing Kainth back to Congress after being in constant talks with him from the past few days.

Chandigarh Lok Sabha candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal Bansal said during Kainth’s joining ceremony that BJP activists have lost faith in their leadership and are making a beeline for joining the Congress as they are impressed with its policies and style of functioning.

Taking a jibe at the BJP’s rule at the Centre and in Chandigarh, the former Union minister said, “In the last five years, the BJP has pushed this beautiful city back by decades. It has divided the society on religious and caste lines and vitiated the atmosphere across the country.”

“Congress is a truly democratic party which carries all the sections of society with it. Today the country’s democratic character is in danger. People who talk in the interests of the nation are branded as anti-nationals,” Bansal added.

Kainth described Congress as the only party which considered the interests of the nation foremost. “The BJP has not measured up to the expectations of the residents of Chandigarh and has mismanaged the affairs of the Municipal Corporation,” said Kainth.