26 in fray for Cong ticket from Panchkula

PANCHKULA: Sitting MLA Devender Kumar Bansal has to compete with 25 persons to seek re-election as Congress candidate from Panchkula city in the upcoming Haryana assembly elections.
Panchkula assembly was carved out in 2009. It was part of Kalka assembly constituency earlier. It has a total of 1.99 lakh voters.
A two-time MLA, Bansal comes from Ambala cantonment constituency.He was elected from Ambala in 2005 and re-elected from Panchkula in 2009 after Congress denied ticket to four-time MLA Chandermohan.
Last Sunday, all ticket aspirants asked party leaders, AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed and HPCC president Ashok Tanwar to field a local candidate, adding to the troubles of the sitting MLA.
A constituency wise list of ticket aspirants compiled by HPCC revealed that besides CM Hooda's loyalists like Chandveer Hooda and Ashok Mehta and Bansal will have to compete with Panchkula municipal corporation mayor Upender Kaur, former MC presidents Tarun Bhandari and Ravinder Rawal, councillors Bhavna Gupta, Omwati Punia and Lilly Bawa.
Interestingly, Bansal's own loyalist Ranjeeta Mehta, who was an important part of Bansal's team and currently appointed as media coordinator of women Congress, too has staked claim from Panchkula.
Rawal said, "We are born Congressmen and come what may we have not gone against the party. Secondly, I have served residents as municipal council president for a long period. These are some of the grounds on which I have applied for the party ticket.''
Mehta said, "I am an applicant not a claimant. Since high command has announced to give adequate representation to young and women candidates, we are hoping for that. Else, we are duty bound to serve and strengthen the party and shall accept any candidate,'' she said.
Mayor Upender Kaur justified her claim, saying, "I have applied on merit as a women leader from the city representing the entire Panchkula district. Secondly, our family has mass following in rural belts which largely dominate the voting pattern.''
Unfazed by the number of candidates, Bansal said, "Everybody has the right to apply and it is up to the party high command to pick the best. Rest, the electorate is the best judge."