3 min readChandigarhDec 21, 2016 09:59 AM IST
First published on: Dec 21, 2016 at 09:59 AM IST
Pawan Bansal. (Source: File)
Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader Pawan Kumar Bansal rejected the notion that the verdict in the Municipal Corporation elections is in favour of demonetisation. He said the people of the city were of the opinion that the civic body should fall in line with the Centre and voted for the BJP.
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Soon after the results were announced, senior BJP leaders including party chief Amit Shah termed it as a verdict “in favour of demonetisation.”
Talking to Chandigarh Newsline, Bansal said, “I reject the idea that the victory is any indication of support to demonetisation. If the BJP is so confident about it, they should hold mid-term elections of the Lok Sabha and it will become clear what people think of the issue. Municipal elections involve local issues as well.”
“The result is there before us. We respect the verdict of the people. During the campaign, people asked me during the campaign that BJP has its government at the Centre. They have their MP from Chandigarh and their party person as administrator. The Municipal Corporation has to depend upon the Centre for all its funds. They asked what will the Congress be able to do when elected? It is the BJP that can do something in the election. People felt that corporation being a local body it must fall in line with the Centre.”
About the representation given by the Congress candidates seeking a repoll, Bansal said he is yet to hold a meeting with the candidates of the party.
“I am yet to hold a meeting with my party’s candidates. Some of them have approached the election commission. They said that they want to make a representation to the election commission, I asked them to go ahead. I do not want that tomorrow someone says that I stopped them,” he said.
Bansal also said there was no impact of factionalism on the election. He said that there was more dissidence in the BJP. He said that he does not consider himself to be from any group in the party and does not acknowledge any group.
“There can be differences of opinion, but we are all in the Congress and working for the Congress. What was the fate of the one candidate who they [dissidents] fielded,”
he said.
Pawan Bansal. (Source: File)
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