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Congress to fight Tarn Taran, Sham Chaurasi by-polls alone

The Punjab Congress will contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha by-election in Tarn Taran and assembly by-poll in Sham Chaurasi on its own, state party president Rajinder Kaur Bhattal announced.

She said the party would appeal to the Bahujan Samaj Party to lend support to its candidates. Bhattal had not been able to discuss the by-elections issue with BSP leaders as she was abroad.

She thanked the Communist Party of India for not fielding candidates in both the constituencies. "We will appeal to all secular parties to support us in these by-elections so that the Congress can defeat the Akali-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance candidates," she said.

Bhattal said the district committees of Tarn Taran and Sham Chaurasi would shortlist a panel of candidates by May 10. The list would then be send to the party high command to decide upon.

Admitting to differences in the party and its 17-member coordination panel over continuing its electoral alliance with the BSP in Punjab, Bhattal said the issue would be resolved by the party high command.

Dalit leaders in the Congress are against continuing the alliance.

Bhattal refuted the charge that she was marginalised with the setting up of a coordination panel by the high command, claiming that the panel is no substitute for the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee; it had been set up for the by-elections and panchayat elections.

The leader said the party was preparing a document on the performance of the state government. It would be ready within a fortnight.

UNI

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