Poll result may alter party alignments

CHANDIGARH, Oct 5: Having been humbled at the hustings in two consecutive Lok Sabha elections, veteran Congressman Pawan Kumar Bansal fac...

CHANDIGARH, Oct 5: Having been humbled at the hustings in two consecutive Lok Sabha elections, veteran Congressman Pawan Kumar Bansal faces a must-win situation as the counting for the Chandigarh seat begins tomorrow. Another defeat for him could well draw curtains on his active political career. Rival Krishan Lal Sharma of BJP, a national figure in the party set-up, too, faces a similar situation, as he has his reputation at stake more than his political career.

The political alignments in both the BJP and the Congress are likely to see drastic changes after the declaration of the result.

With both parties plagued with dissidence, the defeat of any of them could well brighten the fortunes of dissidents, who are waiting for the first opportunity to make a killing. The victories of the respective candidates could, however, send the dissidents into hibernation.

While in the Congress, Bansal8217;s victory would ensure an active political career for him, it could also bolster former Union minister Harmohan Dhawan8217;s political fortunes in the Congress, after he joined the party just before the polls.

On the other hand, Bansal8217;s defeat could see his rivals 8212; former Union minister Venod Sharma and Indian Youth Congress president Manish Tewari 8212; resurface and change the party8217;s set-up locally. In this case, however, Dhawan may not emerge stronger, since Bansal8217;s defeat would mean that he was unable to transfer his 40,000 strong vote-bank, for which he actively campaigned in favour of Bansal.

With the post of local president of the Chandigarh Congress lying vacant, the result of the city seat would also decide the fate of the next incumbent.

In the BJP, however, Sharma8217;s victory may not see much changes in the party8217;s set-up here, even though former MP Satya Pal Jain, whom Sharma replaced as the party candidate this time, may have to struggle for his political fortunes.

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In case of Sharma8217;s defeat, the party may well see drastic changes in the local BJP set-up, as this would mean that the dissidence within the party has cost the party dearly. The party workers who did not actively campaign for Sharma may also see a bad time ahead. Sharma8217;s defeat could also see Jain emerge stronger, as he was replaced despite being a sitting MP. In this case, the overhauling of the local BJP unit is also expected.

With victory being an essential ingredient in every politician8217;s life, these polls have turned out to be a litmus test for both.