The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

POLITICS Nagar Council Poll Infighting costs Cong post of junior vice-prez Shariq Majeed Tribune News Service Sangrur, January 12 The infighting in the local Congress has cost party dear as it lost the junior vice-president post in the nagar council elections. However, the party managed to win the post of vice-president as its candidate was unanimously elected. Sources said infighting has not been favourable for the party as councillors owing allegiance to senior Congress leader Arvind Khanna allegedly voted against the party candidate for the post of junior vice-president Sanjay Jeet Gawa who belongs to rival MLA Sangur Surinder Pal Singh Sibia group. They added that the two of Congress councillors Deepak Aggarwal and former Congress Nagar Council president Parvinder Bajaj allegedly voted against the party candidate for the post of junior vice-president’s resulting in the victory of BJP-SAD candidate Bhagwanti Devi. Devi secured 12 votes whereas the Congress rival could manage merely nine votes. The SDM Sangrur Upkar Singh acted as presiding officer of the elections and declared that Deepak Aggarwal has been unanimously elected. Sources said Arvind Khanna managed to pull out a victory, rubbing salt on the wounds of Sibia, after his close associate Deepak Aggarwal became the consensus candidate of the councillors that included Sibia faction as also BJP-SAD. Talking to reporters after facing embarrassment in the election, Sibia said show-cause notices will be issued to Congress councillors Deepak Aggarwal and Parvinder Bajaj for initiating action against them for anti-party activities. Meanwhile, both averred that all councillors made Deepak Aggarwal as consensus candidate to come on common platform for overall development of the Sangrur town. They added that Surinder Pal Sibia should have respected the sentiments of residents who wanted to develop the town.