Jolt to Congress ticket aspirants in Mansa with Sidhu Moosewala’s entry

The joining of singer Sidhu Moosewala has come as a jolt for at least five Congress leaders seeking a ticket from the Mansa Assembly seat. Moosewala is likely to contest the seat.

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Moosewala’s mother is a Congress sarpanch of their native Musa village in Mansa district. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Moosewala had lent support to the police and district administrations.

Mansa AAP legislator Nazar Singh Manshahia, who joined the Congress in 2019, is among the ticket aspirants. Besides, former MLA Mangat Rai Bansal’s wife Manoj Bala, who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 polls, Manjit Singh Jhalbuti and Gurpreet Singh Vicky are staking claim to the party ticket.

Former minister Sher Singh Gagowal’s daughter-in-law Gurpreet Kaur Gagowal today held a show of strength by organising a rally at Khiala village in the district and has also thrown her hat in the ring. In the 2012 elections, Gurpreet had contested as a Congress nominee but lost with a narrow margin.

The leaders have already indicated they would contest as Independent candidates if an outsider was given a ticket from the seat. It is learnt Moosewala is eyeing a ticket from Mansa, although his village is located in the Sardulgarh Assembly segment.

Protesting Moosewala’s entry into the party fold, the Gagowal family said like actor Sunny Deol, he would also abandon the constituency after winning the polls. Addressing workers, Gurpreet said: “The party should seriously think about giving the ticket to a local and not an outsider.”

The Congress is a divided house in the Mansa Assembly segment. Sources claim although not all Congress leaders are speaking up openly, they are irked at the singer joining the party.

Sidhu firm on opening STF report

• PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Friday reiterated his stand on making public the opening of the STF report on drug trafficking. Defending the decision to induct Moosewala, Sidhu said the cases against him were sub judice
• When reminded that the STF drug trafficking case was also sub judice, he said there was no stay on the opening of the report. On Thursday, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi had refused to comment, saying this could have a bearing on the matter that was in the court