Ravi Dhaliwal

Tribune News Service

Sujanpur, April 30

The PPCC was put in a tight spot when Bhoa sitting MLA Joginder Pal and newly elected woman Municipal Councillor Babbli Mahajan defied the party whip following which Cabinet Minister and party observer Bharat Bhushan Ashu was forced to postpone the election to the post of the Sujanpur Municipal Committee (MC) president.

The audacity and impudence with which the legislator dared to defy the high command came as a shocker to many senior leaders. “The Assembly elections are barely eight months away and such a development does not augur well for the Congress. The MLA has surely tarnished the party’s reputation,” said a councillor.

In the past, too, the MLA had gone against the wishes of the PPCC and could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar said he would act once he received the observer’s report.

The Congress has nine councillors in the 15-member house while the BJP has six. Joginder is an ex-officio member of the house by virtue of being Bhoa MLA.

Once the proceedings of the meeting commenced, Ashu announced that the party wanted all nine party councillors to unanimously approve the name of the candidate which was “kept in a sealed envelope and had been endorsed by the PPCC.” However, Joginder and Babbli challenged the decision and instead insisted on holding an on-the-spot election by raising hands.