The announcement of Manish Tiwari as the Congress candidate for Chandigarh in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections has sparked controversy within the party. Several Congress leaders, who are aligned with former MP Pawan Kumar Bansal have resigned from their positions, calling for the removal of party president Harmohinder Singh Lucky.
Notable resignations include those of Chandigarh INTUC president Naseeb Jakhar, Mahila wing president Deepa Dubey, party vice-president Hafiz Anwar Ul Haq, and Ravi Thakur.
Protesting outside Dubey’s Sector 15 residence, the leaders voiced their grievances against Lucky, accusing him of undermining the party’s unity and alleging his association with the BJP. The dissenting leaders also expressed their discontent with Lucky’s advocacy for a new face over Bansal, urging the party high command to reconsider their decision.
The Congress party has chosen Anandpur Sahib’s current MP and lawyer, Manish Tewari, to contest against BJP’s Sanjay Tandon for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha Constituency.
The decision was announced by the Congress’ central election committee following a meeting in Delhi, where Tewari’s name was among 15 candidates unveiled. Tewari, along with former Chandigarh MP Pawan Kumar Bansal and Chandigarh Congress president Harmohinder Singh Lucky, had been contenders for the party ticket from Chandigarh.
In line with the seat-sharing agreement within the INDIA bloc, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had previously fielded its candidate in the Chandigarh mayoral elections, paving the way for the Congress to nominate Tewari as the joint candidate representing both parties in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
A Chandigarh native, 58-year-old Tewari completed his schooling at St. John’s High School in Sector 26, earned a BA in Economics from DAV College (Panjab University), Chandigarh, and obtained his Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the University of Delhi.