 Early Times Report
Jammu, Feb 27: Congress leaders have taken serious note of the statement of party’s senior leader and former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand during party’s programme.
Tara Chand’s statement has sparked a controversy within the party as senior leaders observed that his statement was against some castes.
While speaking during a rally organized by District Congress Committee (DCC) Jammu rural in connection with the “Himari Riyasat Hamara Haq” campaign at Jammu, former Deputy Chief Minister said that he decided to contest Assembly election on an open seat but people did not tolerate him.
Although Tara Chand did not mentioned name of any caste, party leaders observed that his comment was against some castes because had unsuccessfully contested Assembly election from open seat of Chhamb.
“Former Deputy Chief Minister’s statement was against some castes because he said that his decision to contest elections on open seat was not tolerated by people”, a Congress leader told The Early Times.
Wishing anonymity, the leader said that this remark of Tara Chand has not gone well among workers.
Important to mention here that Tara Chand has won assembly elections from Chha Tara Chand had won assembly elections from Chhamb Assembly segment in 1996, 2002 and 2008 Assembly elections. In these polls Chhamb Assembly segment was a reserved constituency.
In the year 2014 Tara Chand lost the elections from constituency when he was defeated by BJP’s Dr. Krishan Lal. After the report of the Delimitation Commission this constituency was declared “open” and the nearby Assembly segment was declared as reserved for Scheduled Caste.
As reported earlier by this newspaper, the party had suggested former Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand to shift to the reserved Akhnoor assembly segment and leave the Chhamb segment for Satish Sharma.
Instead of leaving the Chhamb seat for Satish Sharma, the former Deputy Chief Minister was adamant about contesting on the same seat because he wanted to settle his personal score with Satish Sharma, son of veteran Congress leader and political stalwart of Jammu's late Madan Lal Sharma.
Sources said that Congress leadership was very much aware that due to the adamant and vindictive attitude of Tara Chand, the party lost both the Chhamb and Akhnoor Assembly segments.
Satish Sharma not only emerged victorious on the Chhamb assembly seat but also relegated Tara Chand to third place. | 