Internal problems are coming to the surface in the Congress party in Chandigarh as the former Union Minister and four-time Member of Parliament (MP) Pawan Kumar Bansal is yet to join the party candidate Manish Tewaris campaign in the city.   With the announcement of his name as the candidate for the Chandigarh parliamentary constituency, Tewari has launched door-to-door campaigns, public meetings in colonies, and sectors in the city. However, senior Congress leader Bansal has abstained from attending any party meetings or daily public meetings organized by the local unit in various parts of the city.   Tewari, during his campaigning across the city, has been accompanied by Chandigarh Congress president HS Lucky and other senior leaders including citys former mayors Subash Chawla, and Ravinder Pal Singh Pali. During the campaign, Tewari is indulging in detailed interactions with the people, and also inquiring about various problems being faced by the residents and businessmen in these areas.   Those watching the political developments in the city maintained that Congress partys internal rifts have given Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the edge in the perception game in June 1 Lok Sabha election. Knowing this fact, senior BJP leaders in Delhi are unhappy with the state of affairs in Chandigarh and have asked the leaders to put up a united front and refrain from speaking against each other.   Notably, internal squabbles came to the fore in the Congress party unit after the high command, on April 13, had announced the name of partys Anandpur Sahib MP and former Union Minister Manish Tewari as party candidate from Chandigarh, with senior party leader Pawan Bansal and city president Harmohinder Singh Lucky also in race.   With this, two-time MP Tewari and senior BJP leader Sanjay Tandon are locked in a tight contest for the lone Chandigarh parliamentary constituency.   Furthermore, having won the Lok Sabha polls from Chandigarh four times in 1991, 1999, 2004 and 2009, Bansal was denied the ticket this time. He had also contested the polls in 2014 and 2019, but lost to BJPs Kirron Kher.   The internal rift in Chandigarh Congress further widened with the resignation by office-bearers, who are close to former MP Bansal.   Some office-bearers, including the local unit secretary Nitin Rai Chauhan, have left the party in support of Bansal. Moreover, over 100 party leaders and workers, including party vice-president Hafiz Anwar-ul-Haq and Mahila Congress president Deipa Dubey, have submitted resignations, demanding removal of local party president HS Lucky for liking an Instagram post that mocked Bansal for losing the ticket, an allegation he has vehemently denied.   According to sources, Bansal, who was a ticket contender, has not been campaigning for the Congress candidate. He and his supporters also skipped the first office-bearers meeting with Tewari. Recently, the city Congress in-charge Rajeev Shukla met the local leaders, apparently to placate him and know about the current situation in the party.   Sources further said during the meeting with Shukla, Bansal put forth several points. It lasted for about an hour. Talking to reporters, Shukla said: Bansal ji is not angry. He is a very senior and respected leader and is committed to the party.   Moreover, rebels are seeking Congress president HS Luckys ouster over his social media posts. The leaders are annoyed with Lucky for sharing a post on the social media that read Bansal ke sath hua khela after Tewari was named the Congress candidate for the city Lok Sabha seat. Lucky shared videos of a few leaders, who said they had not resigned.   However, the senior Congress leader said that there are no internal problems within the party and that all leaders are together, so there was no need to harbour suspicions. Party leaders are not angry with Manish Tewari but some had issues with Lucky only, they added.   Tewari promises regularization of colonies outside Lal Dora Senior Congress leader and Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) candidate for Chandigarh parliamentary constituency Manish Tewari on Sunday conducted a door-to-door campaign at Mauli Jagran area and Sector-29 in the city. At Mauli Jagran, appealing for their vote and support, Tewari also enquired about the problems people were facing and assured to resolve these. He also promised the regularization of the houses built outside the Lal Dora, which is a long pending demand of the residents. Moreover, Tewari interacted with the residents of the city in Sector 29 and focused on the matters concerning the area.   Tandon seeks vote from Punvanchali community BJP candidate from Chandigarh Sanjay Tandon on Sunday met the people from Purvanchal living in the city, at the Grain Market or Subzi Mandi. On the occasion, they extended support to Tandon by weighing him against laddoos. The event was organized by the Purvanchal Prakosth. Pointing to the difference between BJP and Congress, Tandon said: Dont forget who has looted the country and who has done the development of the nation. The Modi Government is pro-poor and Modi is the guarantee of development. Moreover, during the event, vegetable vendors and shop owners of the grain market raised various issues with Tandon such as a designated place for street vendors with proper facility, tin-sheds to be made for the vendors, and road construction within the Sabzi Mandi. Tandon assured that their issues will be resolved with utmost priority if he is elected to power.

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