Another poor show for Capt, this time in Moga

Friday, 22/11/2013

http://epaper.dailypostindia.com/Details.aspx?id=86870&boxid=58892&uid=&dat=2013-11-22

Moga : Former Punjab Congress president Capt Amarinder Singh seems to be losing his eminence among the party cadre with each passing day.

Just a few days after his visit to Mohali, his Moga visit on Thursday saw hardly any senior leader turning up to accompany him during his public meet.

Once a renowned crowd-puller, Capt Amarinder Singh was taken aback to find that unlike earlier when the people of Moga used to assemble in thousands to listen to him, only a small gathering was there this time.

Majority of the partymen have reportedly started skipping his events for not liking Capt Amarinder firing salvos one after the other at state party chief Partap Singh Bajwa. If party insiders are to be believed, amid the tussle between the two, the Bajwa faction has gone stronger for being blessed with the choice of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi.

During Capt Amarinder’s public meet on the Ferozepur-Ludhiana National Highway, neither Punjab Mahila Congress president Malti Thapar, who is a local resident, nor the party’s previous Lok Sabha candidate Sukhjinder Singh Danny was present to see their former party chief, who is on his special tour of the state to lend an ear to the party workers’ grievances.

Ironically, even district president of the party Jagdarshan Kaur Brar was conspicuous by her absence.

Meanwhile, former Baghapurana MLA Darshan Singh Brar was vocal in expressing his annoyance against Capt Amarinder, when asked about the reason for his absence. “I would never go to attend his programmes as my chief is Partap Singh Bajwa only. But pained to see the lacklustre affair of the day, I would ask the party leaders to organise the party rally once again and under the leadership of Bajwa, which I assure would be huge,” he added.

Among those handful of party activists seen along with the former PPCC chief were SGPC member Kaka Singh Lohgarh and party’s defeated candidate for the Moga bypoll Vijay Sathi.

Interestingly, when the mediapersons asked Capt Amarinder to share his views on the absence of senior party leaders, he parried the question.

However, while flaying the state government for different reasons, he was energetic enough during his public address. He criticised the imposition of property tax and lapses in the implementation of various schemes.

Asked if he or his son would be seen contesting the Lok Sabha polls as his party leaders in Punjab have been urging him to go against Harsimrat Kaur Badal from Bathinda through the media, the former chief minister said, “Neither I nor my son Raninder will contest this time. Only my wife Preneet Kaur would contest, that too from her traditional seat Patiala.” “And I have clarified this to AICC chief Sonia Gandhi as well,” he added.

It is worth mentioning that in 2009, Raninder had lost the Bathinda seat to Harsimrat with a gap of over one lakh votes. Replying to a related query, Capt Amarinder said that he would soon be leaving for Rajasthan to campaign for the party candidates contesting the Vidhan Sabha polls.