Several party leaders including Chandigarh Mahila Congress chief resigned from their respective posts over the "disrespect" shown to former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal allegedly by Chandigarh Congress president H.S. Lucky.
Those who have tendered resignations are considered close to Mr. Bansal.
The move came on a day when Congress candidate Manish Tewari visited the party office in Chandigarh. Mr. Tewari and Mr. Bansal were the contenders for the candidature for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat. However, the party chose Mr. Tewari over Mr. Bansal.
Deipa Dubey, who resigned from the post of Chandigarh Mahila Congress president, accused Chandigarh unit chief Mr. Lucky of insulting Mr. Bansal.
She claimed that Mr. Lucky shared a post on his Instagram handle which mentioned, "Pawan Bansal ke saath ho gaya khel, Manish Tewari ko mili ticket." She accused Mr. Lucky of insulting Mr. Bansal by putting the post on his Instagram handle.
"We have tendered resignations and we demand the resignation of Lucky from the post of Chandigarh Congress president," she said.
However, she clarified that they were not against the candidature of Mr. Tewari from Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat.
She further said they have not left the party but only resigned from their posts.
Those who resigned include some block level leaders and other office bearers.
Mr. Lucky said his Instagram handle is managed by some university students. If they have liked some post it was not intentional, he said.
"I respect Bansal ji a lot. He is a seasoned leader," said Mr. Lucky.
Mr. Bansal, former MP, had been trying for the ticket to fight Lok Sabha polls from Chandigarh.
Meanwhile, the Congress workers on Monday welcomed Mr. Tewari when he visited the Congress Bhawan after he was named as the party candidate from the Chandigarh seat.
While welcoming him, Mr. Lucky said Mr. Tewari has local roots.
Mr. Tewari has a clean image and has been raising issues related to Chandigarh in Parliament, he said.
Rubbishing the BJP's claim of him being an "outsider", Mr. Lucky said Mr. Tewari was born and brought up in Chandigarh and did his education from the Union Territory.
He has been living in Chandigarh, though he remained an MP from Ludhiana and Anandpur Sahib in Punjab.
Mr. Tewari, while addressing the gathering, said he would be meeting the people and would share his ideas and plans to make Chandigarh more vibrant and beautiful.
Recalling his roots, Mr. Tewari said his late father V.N. Tewari was a professor at Panjab University and he was shot dead by the terrorists in 1984 when he was just 18 years.
His mother Amrit Tewari had served as a Dean in the PGIMER and later as a nominated councillor in Municipal Corporation Chandigarh.
Mr. Tewari said he knows the issues of Chandigarh and is keen to get them resolved with the support of the people.
The BJP has fielded Sanjay Tandon from the Chandigarh constituency.
