Bajwa report card to Rahul: ‘Cong tally in 2013 polls higher than 2008’

According to the report compiled by Bajwa’s office,titled ‘Comparison of 2008 and 2013 zila parishad and block samiti elections’,the Congress has won 26 zila parishad seats this time against seven in 2008 when it just bagged three seats in Jalandhar and four in Nawanshahr. It drew a blank in 20 districts in 2008 against 10 districts in these elections.

The party’s improvement in the block samiti polls,as per the list,is even more impressive. It shows an almost seven-fold jump,from 58 in 2008 to 454 seats this time. It reveals that in 15 districts,the party failed to win even a single block samiti seat in 2008.

The comparative figures,however,do not show the number of seats which the Congress boycotted in the last elections,which in Bajwa’s own words,added up to 40 per cent of the total seats. This time,the boycott was in just two assembly segments of Fatehgarh Churian and Rajasansi.

Interestingly,these figures are in complete variance with those in the government records which say that the Congress won 33 zila parishad and 491 block samiti seats in 2008. On the near-rout in the Majha belt from where he hails,Bajwa said the ruling alliance misused official machinery and unleashed police atrocities. “How do you expect people to stand up against the police? The state Election Commission,instead of taking cognisance of the blatant misuse of police and official machinery,acted as an appointee of the government,” he said while speaking to The Indian Express.

He contended that Congress tally was higher despite “large-scale booth capturing,wrong rejection of nominations and forced and false withdrawals.” And it is not just “higher” seats that the Congress is upbeat about.

Counting the 153 seats won by ‘others’ in its kitty,Bajwa is pitching for united Opposition in the Lok Sabha polls. “The 153 seats won by the others — Sanjha Morcha comprising People’s Party of Punjab,CPI and CPM — the BSP and Independents,all had Congress support. We would have fared better than the SAD-BJP combine if we had an understanding on all seats. No opposition has ever won a panchayat election since independence,it is always the ruling party that holds fort. Despite the undemocratic means adopted by the ruling combine,I took the conscious decision not to boycott polls. We fought back wherever they tried to muzzle our voice and this has instilled confidence in our cadre. For the ruling Akalis,it was psychological – keeping the party cadre morale high by continuing the winning spree,” he added. On forging a similar alliance for Lok Sabha polls,he said: “I have always been in favour of secular forces in Punjab uniting for defeating the SAD-BJP.”

Rahul,who has visited Punjab thrice in the past year,had called the meeting to discuss organisational issues. Advocating representation of grass-root workers in block and district-level party units,he called for unanimity among state president,vice-presidents and Leader of Opposition in deciding office-bearers for the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC).

Bajwa also apprised him of the violence in Manna village and of the Books Scam in which Punjab Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka is embroiled.