Amarinder: Will ask Manpreet to withdraw candidate

Wednesday, 23/01/2013

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130123/punjab.htm#8

Chandigarh : The Punjab Congress, which had virtually allowed the Dasuya byelection last year to be a walkover, is getting its act together for the Moga bypoll. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Capt Amarinder today announced that he would stay put in Moga for the duration of the election campaign.

This amply indicates the seriousness of the Punjab Congress to take on the Akalis and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal, who has exhibited supreme confidence in getting a Congress legislator to resign his seat and contest a bypoll on the SAD ticket.

The Punjab Congress is keen to knit a coalition against the SAD in Moga. The PCC president, when questioned, said he would request People's Party of Punjab (PPP) president Manpreet Singh Badal to withdraw his candidate. Indicating that the PPP might be inclined towards the proposal, he said he was hopeful that Manpreet would review his decision.

Amarinder said he would also meet senior Akali leader Surjit Singh Barnala, who was also PPP patron, as well as CPI leader Joginder Dayal, whose party was part of the Sanjha Morcha along with the PPP, to push for a common candidate against the SAD in the Moga bypoll. Amarinder said with the PPP's support, the Congress would be able to give a tough fight to the SAD.

He refused to dub the election as a referendum on the law and order situation in Punjab. He said a byelection could not be dubbed as a referendum as it usually went in favour of the ruling party. However, the feedback which the party was getting from the ground level was positive and "by God's grace the Congress will be able to win the seat," he said.

Amarinder claimed that the SAD was up to its old tricks and that it had recently released old-age pension to sway the voters of the constituency. He said the party would approach the Election Commission in this regard.

The PCC chief took on SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal for failing to react on the refusal by a Panchkula gurdwara to hold "bhog" in memory of former Lt General RS Dayal because of his role in Operation Bluestar. Amarinder said Sukhbir had evaded the issue on the specious plea that the incident had occurred in Panchkula. He also criticised SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar for lauding the gurdwara management.

CD on Majithia
Amarinder said the Congress would play the compact disc showing Revenue Minister Bikram Majithia hurling expletives against Congress legislator Rana Gurjit. "The point is to show what kind of person he is," the PCC president said.

6 SHOs shifted
In view of the byelection, the Police Department today shifted six SHOs out of Moga district. The transfers are subject to approval by the Election Commission.