Sanjay Tandon slams Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari as 'weekend MP', non-performer
Synopsis
Two years after losing Chandigarh by a whisker, BJP's Sanjay Tandon is back on the offensive — branding Manish Tewari a 'weekend MP' and demanding answers on the Congress's Paanch Nyay guarantees, from the ₹1 lakh Nari Nyay payout to 300 units of free power. The early opening salvo of the next Chandigarh contest.
Key Takeaways
BJP leader Sanjay Tandon attacked Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari on 3 June , alleging two years of non-performance.
Tandon flagged unfulfilled Congress poll promises including ₹1 lakh annual aid under Nari Nyay .
He cited stalled assurances on 20,000 litres free water monthly and 300 units of free electricity for eligible families.
Tandon called Tewari a ‘weekend MP', alleging frequent absence from the city.
He renewed his demand for Tewari's resignation, first raised after the Congress- AAP alliance broke down.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national council member Sanjay Tandon on Wednesday, 3 June launched a sharp attack on Chandigarh Member of Parliament Manish Tewari, alleging that the Congress leader had failed to deliver on the promises made during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections despite completing two years in office. Tandon, who had lost to Tewari by a narrow margin in the same constituency, said ‘non-performance is the only highlight of the MP's two-year report card'.
Key allegations against the Chandigarh MP
Tandon alleged that Tewari had ‘misled people by making tall promises and offering fake guarantees', adding that residents of the Union Territory were now demanding accountability. He claimed the MP had built his campaign around the Congress's ‘Guarantee Card' and ‘Paanch Nyay' platform, particularly the Nari Nyay assurance of ₹1 lakh in annual financial assistance to women from poor households.
‘The reality is that for the MP these promises were always political slogans aimed at getting votes rather than actionable commitments,' Tandon said.
The 'weekend MP' jibe
The senior BJP functionary accused Tewari of frequent absence from the city, terming him a ‘weekend MP'. ‘People are rapidly losing hope that the MP will deliver on any of his commitments. Most of the time, he remains out of the station and has increasingly earned the reputation of being a weekend MP. This has left the city residents in the lurch,' Tandon remarked.
He reiterated his earlier call for Tewari's resignation, first made after the breakdown of the Congress-Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alliance, arguing that the demand had only gained weight given the alleged lack of delivery on poll commitments.
Unfulfilled poll guarantees flagged
Tandon listed a series of promises he said remained on paper, including 20,000 litres of free water every month and 300 units of free electricity for eligible families. He said commitments on simplification of governance laws, ownership rights for residents of rehabilitation colonies, and regularisation of alterations in Housing Board flats on the Delhi pattern had seen little movement.
Other pending issues highlighted by the BJP leader included conversion of leasehold properties into freehold, regularisation of contractual employees, filling of vacant government posts, and strengthening of educational institutions.
Why this fight matters
The Chandigarh seat had witnessed one of the closer contests of the 2024 general election, with Tewari edging out Tandon by a slender margin. The latest attack signals that the BJP is positioning the constituency as an early accountability battleground well ahead of the next civic and parliamentary cycles.
Tewari is yet to issue a detailed rebuttal to the specific charges raised in Tandon's statement.
Point of View
Which suggests the BJP sees Chandigarh as winnable next time. The substantive question, however, is whether any sitting MP — from any party — can credibly be held responsible for state-subject deliverables like free water and electricity in a Union Territory administered by the Centre. Until Tewari responds line by line, this remains a one-sided scorecard.
NationPress
21 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What has BJP leader Sanjay Tandon alleged against Manish Tewari?
Tandon has alleged that Chandigarh MP Manish Tewari has failed to fulfil the promises made during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections despite completing two years in office. He described non-performance as the defining feature of the MP's tenure and called him a 'weekend MP' for being frequently absent from the city.
Which Congress poll guarantees did Tandon highlight as unfulfilled?
Tandon specifically flagged the Nari Nyay promise of ₹1 lakh annual financial assistance to women from poor families, along with assurances of 20,000 litres of free water every month and 300 units of free electricity for eligible families. He also listed pending issues like leasehold-to-freehold conversion and regularisation of contractual employees.
Why is Tandon demanding Manish Tewari's resignation?
Tandon first sought Tewari's resignation after the Congress-AAP alliance broke down, arguing that the mandate had shifted. He now says the demand is even more relevant because Tewari has, in his view, failed to deliver on any major poll promise to Chandigarh voters.
How close was the 2024 Chandigarh Lok Sabha contest?
Manish Tewari defeated Sanjay Tandon by a slender margin in the 2024 general election. The narrow verdict is widely seen as the reason both leaders remain politically active in the constituency.
