Consensus mooted for Yamunanagar Cong. candidate

By Rajesh Ahuja

CHANDIGARH, NOV. 24. The Congress candidate for the Yamunanagar Assembly seat in the forthcoming by-election will be decided by `consensus' amongst the various groups to eliminate `infighting', according to party leaders.

According to insiders, it is prestigious for the Congress to retain the seat won by Dr.J.P.Sharma in the 2000 Assembly elections.

The by-election has arisen due to Dr.Sharma's death on October 31. The candidate would be decided on merit and through consultations among senior leaders including the State Congress chief, Mr.Bhupinder Singh Hooda, the former Chief Minister, Mr.Bhajan Lal, and a former State Congress chief, Mr.Birender Singh.

Congressmen say that Yamunanagar, Kalka and Panipat were the three seats won by the party in the non-Jat belt in the last Assembly polls.

They assert that the base of the party has expanded in the region due to virtual eclipse of the BJP and efforts put in by the Congress leaders to mobilize the masses against the failures of the Chautala regime. Mr.Hooda has toured this belt extensively to bolster the spirits of partymen and interact with the people to ascertain their `grievances.'

Partymen are enthusiastic that the seat may once again land on a platter as a dispute between the INLD and the BJP over the ticket seems imminent.

The BJP would obviously demand that the ticket be given to the former Minister,Mrs.Kamla Verma, who had lost it in 2000 while Mr.Chautala is understood to have made it clear that the ticket would be given on merit.

The by-election is likely to be held with the forthcoming Assembly elections in Punjab and U.P. It is learnt that Congressmen of various hues are going to concentrate their attention on winning this seat and consultations about chalking out an effective strategy have already begun.

Interestingly, Mr.Chautala, who is also aspiring to contest elections in UP as a separate entity, has already toured Yamunanagar. INLD grapevine says that the likely choice can be Mr.M.C.Gambhir, who is also the Chairman of the State Education Board.

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