This story is from May 18, 2016

Snubbed, Tanwar back in Congress after Independent coup

Rajender Singh Tanwar's win from the Bhati ward also heralded his return to the Congress party, which he had deserted in a pre-election peeve over not being given a ticket.
Snubbed, Tanwar back in Congress after Independent coup
NEW DELHI: Rajender Singh Tanwar's win from the Bhati ward also heralded his return to the Congress party, which he had deserted in a pre-election peeve over not being given a ticket. He had contested as an Independent, and as the result showed on Tuesday, he was able to turn the tables on his party. On a day when it counted its political successes, the Congress readily tugged Rajender back into its fold and included his win among the party's five in the bypolls.

Joginder Tanwar, 33, the man whom Rajender beat in Bhati is the son of Balram Tanwar, who was elected in 2003 and 2008 to the assembly from Chattarpur, in which Bhati falls. Earlier, the Independent candidate had told TOI, "Being the son of a former legislator can't be the only criterion for selection . I have held various posts, including Youth Congress president and Congress block president since 1976."
A Congress member had defended the party saying that Rajender's defection was not due to nepotism. He had cited examples of AAP fielding MLA Imran Hussain's brother-in-law Mohammad Sadiq from Ballimaran MLA Sahiram Pehelwan's nephew Abhishek Bidhuri in Tehkhand.
Bhati ward comprises eight villages, a JJ cluster and two residential colonies. The Congress manifesto had promised to stop blackmail, which is rampant in construction circles there, and set up a primary school in Kharak-Sivada village and primary health centres at Sathbadi and Chandan Hula villages, while reviving construction work of the dispensary at Asola-Fatehpur Beri village.
Rajendar's riposte to the Congress manifesto was to point out that Tanwar had been vice-chairman of the Rural Development Board between 2008 and 2013 but had not been able to have much done in the ward, including the dispensary at Fatehpur Beri. "When he couldn't get these works done in so many years, how can his son get it done in eight months as a councillor?" asked Rajender.
Rajender's victory quickly changed the political equations, and sources in the Congress party said an AICC secretary had himself called Rajender to consider returning to the party. Later on Tuesday, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken welcomed Rajender back. Maken, however, refused to respond to why Rajender hadn't been given the ticket.
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