Amarinder to tour 7 constituencies
Tuesday, 28/08/2012
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120828/punjab.htm#7
Chandigarh: Pradesh Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh will tour the state beginning September 2, covering seven constituencies in the first leg. The tour programme is significant as Amarinder had indicated that he would go back to the masses only after the high command gave him the nod to continue as PCC chief.
Sources claim that unable to find an alternative to Amarinder, the high command is reluctant to replace him. There are three key claimants to the top post - Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Jagmeet Singh Brar and former minister Laal Singh. But there seems no consensus on Amarinder’s successor. Sources say the seven-constituency tour announced by Amarinder would give him a chance to test the waters.
If the programmes are successful, he will be able to prove to the Congress high command that he continues to be a popular leader and retains the confidence of the Congress rank and file, despite the assembly poll debacle.
Beginning his tour from Patti in Tarn Taran on September 2, Amarinder will hold programmes at MLA Charanjit Singh Channi’s constituency of Chamkuar Sahib on September 3, Gurpreet Singh Kangar’s constituency of Rampura Phul on September 5, Chaudhary Santokh and Vikram Chaudhary’s constituency of Phillaur on September 6, Lalli Majithia’s area of Majitha on September 9 and legislator Tript Rajinder Bajwa’s constituency of Fatehgarh Churian on September 12.
On September 13, the PCC president will visit the Sanaur constituency represented by Laal Singh, which is adjacent to his own constituency of Patiala. Amarinder’s detractors, however, claim the exercise is in tandem with Amarinder’s propensity to conduct ‘show piece” activity for the Congress high command every few months.
They maintain that the tour is unlikely to have a bearing on the party high command’s decision to bring in new leadership in the state.
