After switching over to the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), disgruntled Congress leader and sitting party MP Sukhdev Singh libra on Thursday alleged “sale of tickets” in the Congress. He also predicted a downslide for the party due to loss of scheduled caste (SC) votes in the state.

libra also blamed “groupism” in the party for denial of ticket to him from Fatehgarh Sahib reserve constituency, from where he is the sitting MP. The Congress has fielded the party MlA from Fatehgarh Sahib Sadhu Singh Dharmasot.

Turned rebel after the Congress replaced him with four-time MlA, libra agreed with the allegations made by the SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal, during a press conference to induct him in the SAD, that the Congress high command was “selling” tickets to those who were able to pay the money. 

They cited the case of Union Minister and Congress sitting MP from Hoshiarpur Santosh Chowdhary who had accused the Congress leadership for demanding money in lieu of her re-nomination.

“look at the sitting Hoshiarpur MP and Union Minister... she herself is saying that she don’t have enough money asked by the party and that was why she could not get the ticket. This is how Congress functions. And how can such a party, who indulge in selling party tickets, can remove corruption,” said Sukhbir.

He said that the Congress party was “selling lok Sabha tickets, and poor Congressmen who are keen to enter the poll fray with limited resources are dumping the party”.

Assenting, libra said that this would cost the party in terms of SC votes. “They were losing out on SC votes in the recent past... it was shown during 2012 elections. Now, with such decisions, more votes would go out of the Congress from SC community after what Chowdhary has alleged....SC leaders are being ignored by the Congress,” he alleged.

libra first won lok Sabha polls in 2004 as a SAD candidate from Fatehgarh Sahib. In 2009, Congress gave him ticket after he crossed over by going against the SAD whip and supported the Manmohan Singh Government over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

libra, during 2009 polls, sprung a surprise by retaining the seat after defeating Akali strongman Charanjit Singh Atwal.

Now, after the Congress has laid its bet on Dharamsot — a Bazigar community member, over libra, and former Punjab Congress president Shamsher Singh Dullo — both belonging to Ramdasia Sikh community, a banner of revolt has been raised within the party. There are around three lakh Ramdasia Sikh voters in Fatehgarh Sahib constituency, while nearly 50,000 voters are from the Bazigar community.