Punjab Congress expels 9 more dissidents after they fail to withdraw from poll race
Chandigarh, January 27, 2017: The Punjab Congress has permanently expelled nine more dissidents from the party’s primary membership after they failed to toe the party line and withdraw from the Assembly poll race.
The nine rebels expelled are Naresh Puri, Tarlochan Singh Soond, Jasbir Singh Pal, Maninder Pal Singh Palasour, Avtar Singh Billa, Sukhraj Singh Natt, Darshan Singh Sidhu, Rajinder Kaur Meemsa and Jatinder Kaur Monga.
An office order signed by PPCC president Captain Amarinder Singh said they had been “expelled permanently from the primary membership of the party for anti-party activities with immediate effect.”
The latest expulsion order comes 48 hours after a similar order expelling seven rebel candidates for life after they failed to retire in favour of the official Congress nominees even after the deadline given by Captain Amarinder expired.
Captain Amarinder had on Sunday issued a final ultimatum to the rebel candidates who continued to defy the party diktat to withdraw their candidature or retire from the poll fray. The rebels were given time till 5 p.m. on Tuesday to step down in favour of the Congress candidates in their respective constituencies.
While several rebel candidates had earlier been persuaded by the party leadership to take back their nominations before the last date given by the Election Commission, a handful of them remain defiant and did not withdraw their papers. They were on Sunday given another 48 hours to leave the race official Congress candidates. However, these seven party members failed to toe the party line within the deadline.
Captain Amarinder said it was important to send out a strong message that the party would not tolerate such rebellion and those going against the high command’s decision would have to pay for it. He made it clear that the expulsion of these seven members was permanent and they would not be taken back into the party under any circumstances.
He reiterated that the candidates selected for tickets by the party leadership were chosen for their winnability and those who had withdrawn in favour of the officially nominated candidates would be accommodated in key positions once the Congress forms the government in the state.