Punjab Congress faces fresh rift as Randhawa challenges Warring’s ‘one family, one ticket’ rule

NEW
DELHI:
F esh
diffe e ces
eme ged
i
the
Pu jab
Co g ess
o
Su day
afte
MP
Sukhji de
Si gh
Ra dhawa
challe ged
state
u it
chief
Am i de
Si gh
Raja
Wa i g’s
‘o e
family,
o e
ticket’
sta ce
ahead
of
upcomi g
assembly
electio s.Speaki g
at
a
eve t
atte ded
by
fo me
Pu jab
chief
mi iste
Cha a jit
Si gh
Cha i,
Ra dhawa
said
families
could
get
up
to
fou
tickets
if
thei
membe s
we e
capable
of
wi i g.”Some
say
I
will
ot
give
two
tickets
(to
a
family).
But
those
(i
a
family)
who
have
the
capability
to
wi
will
ot
o ly
get
two
but
fou
tickets
a d
e su e
Co g ess’
victo y,”
Ra dhawa
said.Ra dhawa
also
st essed
that
the
Co g ess
could
ot
etu
to
powe
by
ig o i g
its
wo ke s.”We
have
u tu ed
the
Co g ess
with
ou
blood
a d
sweat.
If
the
Co g ess
is
sta di g
st o g
i
the
state
today,
it
is
because
of
the
co t ibutio
of
eve y
wo ke ,
ot
a y
o e
i dividual,”
he
said.His
ema ks
a e
bei g
see
as
a
cou te
to
Wa i g,
who
has
advocated
the
‘o e
family,
o e
ticket’
policy.Wa i g
had
said
that
o ly
o e
membe
of
a
family
would
get
a
ticket
to
co test
the
electio s.”Big
leade s
say
I
will
co test
f om
he e
a d
my
so
will
co test
f om
the e.

If
Raja
Wa i g
stays,
o e
family
will
get
o ly
o e
ticket,
ot
two.
Rahul
Ga dhi
will
give
tickets,
a d
I
will
o ly
ecomme d,”
Wa i g
had
said.O
Satu day,
Wa i g
also
sha ed
a
old
video
of
Rahul
Ga dhi
o
Facebook
i
which
the
fo me
Co g ess
p eside t
said,
“O e
pe so
pe
family
should
get
a
ticket.””I
will
always
follow
my
leade
a d
sta d
by
him,”
Wa i g
said.Mea while,
BJP
leade
a d
fo me
U io
mi iste
Rav eet
Si gh
Bittu
took
a
dig
at
the
Co g ess
ove
the
issue,
sayi g
the
pa ty’s
high
comma d
itself
does
ot
follow
the
o e-family-o e-ticket
policy.Bittu
claimed
that
the
Ga dhi
family
had
ot
followed
the
Co g ess’
2022
Udaipu
decla atio
of
‘o e
family,
o e
ticket’.”Is
this
a
ew
thi g?
So ia
Ga dhi
is
a
Rajya
Sabha
membe ,
while
he
child e
Rahul
Ga dhi
a d
P iya ka
Ga dhi
a e
Lok
Sabha
membe s.
What
Ra dhawa
Saab
has
said
is
completely
ight.
Whe
th ee
membe s
of
the
Ga dhi
family
ca
sit
i
Pa liame t,
why
ca ot
a
family
get
fou
tickets?”
Bittu
asked.

The
Pu jab
Co g ess
has
bee
g appli g
with
factio alism
despite
epeated
asse tio s
by
the
pa ty
leade ship
that
effo ts
a e
u de
way
to
st e gthe
o ga isatio al
u ity
ahead
of
ext
yea ‘s
Assembly
electio s.O
July
1,
whe
the
Co g ess
leade ship
decided
to
etai
Wa i g
as
Pu jab
Co g ess
chief
a d
appoi t
Cha i
as
chai ma
of
its
campaig
committee.A
sectio
of
leade s
led
by
Cha i
had
opposed
Wa i g’s
co ti uatio
as
state
u it
chief
a d
sought
his
emoval.Cha i’s
suppo te s
wa t
him
to
be
p ojected
as
the
pa ty’s
chief
mi iste ial
face
ahead
of
the
assembly
polls.