Sajjan Kumar, 65, the three-time lok Sabha member from Outer Delhi parliamentary constituency, had been pushed into political hibernation after the Congress cancelled his nomination in 2009 after a young Sikh journalist Jarnail Singh hurled a shoe at then Union Home Minister P Chidambaram who defended his party colleague.
Sajjan Kumar, who was given party ticket by the Congress to contest from the South Delhi lok Sabha seat, was divested from contesting in the event of a huge political furore that had erupted before the 2009 general elections. Former Union Minister Jadish Tytler too was removed from the list of Congress candidates in the ensuing political storm over the atrocities perpetrated on Sikhs in 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Tytler’s seat was given to Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief JP Aggrawal while Sajjan made way for his younger brother Ramesh Kumar. Interestingly, Congress won both the seats despite the widespread anger against Sajjan Kumar and Jadish Tytler.
Kumar, a Jat by caste, still holds sway among voters in the national Capital and is considered a force in arranging crowd for the political rallies of Congress. The very fact that his younger brother Ramesh Kumar won the South Delhi seat despite being pitch forked on the last moment is a testimony to his hold over his voters. However, Delhi strongman Sajjan Kumar has been a chequered political journey one after he won from Nangloi municipal seat in 1977. Kumar won by a huge margin despite the Janta Party wave in 1977. His political ascendancy was complete after he was
given the ticket to contest from Outer Delhi seat by
then Congress president Indira Gandhi.
The political roulette took another turn and Sajjan Kumar lost out to Chaudhary Bharat Singh in 1985 general elections in the aftermath of the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was again given the party ticket to contest from Outer Delhi seat in 1991 and won after the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. From to 1996 to 2004, Sajjan had contested lok Sabah elections unsuccessfully against Kl Sharma and Sahib Singh Verma of the Bharatiya Janata Party. His political career was resuscitated after he defeated Sahib Singh Verma in 2004 lok Sabha elections in 2004 by a huge margin.
Politics took another turn in 2009 and his nomination was cancelled. “It has been a grim fight since then to regain the lost ground and also come clear on the charges of being involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots,” said a close confidante of Kumar.
Sajjan Kumar could not be reached out for his comments but those close to him vouched that their leader will never give up without a fight. There are indications that Kumar may be rehabilitated but it is up to the Congress to bite the bullet, a political watcher said on Tuesday.
This is how Sajjan Kumar has faced several cases and inquiries after the riots that broke out in Delhi after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi on October 31, 1984 by her two bodyguards at her residence.