Congress campaign today got a major boost as prominent Muslim leader and member of Vakf Board, Mohd. Sadiq announced the support of thousands of Muslim voters from city. The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) also got a major setback when some important leaders joined Indian National Congress on Tuesday.

Prominent advocate, Malkiat Singh Jandiala, who had also contested the municipal council election as BSP candidate joined congress.

Nanu Mian, Block President of BJP from Mauli Jagran and Kaseeran and another important leader and president of Mahila Mandal in Vikas Nagar, accompanied by large supporters joined congress in presence of Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee president B.B. Bahl and congress nominee Pawan Kumar Bansal, sitting MP and former union minister in a function, in which, number of societies for Muslim Welfare came together under the banner of Minority Cell of Chandigarh Territorial Congress Committee.   

Speaking on the occasion, former Councilor Devinder Singh Babla criticized the Narinder Modi and said that people will not forgive him for Godhara incident.

Congress Vice President Pawan Kumar Sharma said that congress was a secular party and did not believe in non-secular activities.

Earlier addressing a Joint Forum of Industries Association and Chamber of Chandigarh Industries of Chandigarh, Pawan Kumar Bansal said that he firmly believed that the system of leasehold plots was now outdated. Bansal said that he had advocated conversion of leasehold properties to freehold. He had been taking up the issue and had got a policy made for residential properties but a policy for commercial and industrial properties was yet awaited. He had been pursuing it for a long and it was still on his priority agenda.

Bansal said that the system of administration and lack of executive powers to an elected representative was needed in the city so that such decision could be taken. Bansal said that he was in favour of Mayor-in-Council or Provincial Council. The administration should have only departments like Law & Order and Higher Education, he said.      

Prominent among those who spoke and represented the various societies, included Taj Mohamad, Sadiq Mohammad, Firoz Khan, Mohd. Unis, Umar Deen, Mehboob Khan, S.M.Khan, Dr. Irshad Uddin, Nasulla Khan, Mohd. Yaqoob, Dr. Anish, Dr. Gaznavi, Aftab Ahmed Khan, Mohd. Shehzad, Islamuddin, Khalifa Naim, Gurmail Khan, Mohd Aadil, Qamar Aalam, Riyaz Ahamad, Shafat Ali, Shamim Ahmad (Pradhan), Badri Alsi, Mohd. Asgar, Akbar Khan, Anish Haidar.

Mr. Pawan Kumar Bansal while welcoming the support of the Muslim community said this development shows that every community has full faith in secular ideology of the Congress and the party had never contested any elections in the name of religion but development.

Meanwhile Mr. Bansal’s campaign today further intensified its campaign in the city. He canvassed in sector 23 and 24 markets in door to door campaigns where he got a rousing welcome. Among those who were present during the campaign were Jatinder Bhatia, Ajay Joshi, Surinder Jagota, Mohinder Chaudhary, Sat Parkash Aggarwal, Sunil Chopra, Ajay Sharma, Bobby Soni, Ashok Grewal, Lalit Singla, Tript Vohra, and Tejinder Billa and H.C. Kalyan among others.

A Padyatra was taken out in Sector 44 here today by the Congress leaders led by Mr. Pawan Kumar Bansal. The supporters appealed to vote for the party and informed the people about the achievements of the Mr Bansal and the Congress party as a whole.

In Sector 22, Mr. Bansal addressed a public meeting organised by Khatik Welfare Society. He heard the grievances of the people who also submitted a memorandum of their demands to the Congress candidate. Mr. Bansal assured their problems would be looked into and spoke on the various new policies of the government like the Food Security Bill, Right to Education and the Rehabilitation policy implemented in city. He appealed to the community to vote for the Congress if they want development. Among prominent present there included Society president Raghu Nandan, Lucky Sonkar, Hari Subhash among others.

BOX: BSP General Secretary joins Congress

Chanchal Rani, General Secretary of the local unit of BSP today announced her decision to join the Congress. According to Congress leaders many more such joining are expected in the coming days and more and more prominent leaders of other parties are expressing their desire to join the party.