State Cong top brass to meet Manmohan, urge him to contest from Amritsar LS seat
Sunday, 10/03/2019
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CHANDIGARH: The top brass of the Punjab Congress will formally meet former prime minister Manmohan Singh to request him to contest from the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat.
Singh’s term in the Rajya Sabha is ending on June 14 this year and with the BJP winning Assam, the Congress does not have enough MLAs to get him re-elected to the Upper House. “The party has decided to formally approach the former PM to contest from Amritsar. It will be a matter of pride for the party as well as Punjabis if he contests,” a senior Congress leader said.
Singh will turn 87 this September. Given his age, Congress insiders say it is unlikely that he will contest. But if he does, the party could project him to unite opposition parties against the BJP or stitch post-poll alliances.
The former PM’s name was first mooted by revenue minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria and MLAs from Amritsar during a feedback meeting with Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar and general secretary in-charge of Punjab Asha Kumari in February. Later, education minister OP Soni too had lent his weight. Singh’s name was also endorsed by a majority of the 21 members in state election committee that has cast its vote for candidates of its choice in all Lok Sabha seats through a secret ballot.
The Amritsar seat was won by first-timer Gurjit Aujla in a bypoll after Amarinder Singh became CM in March 2017.
But Aujla is facing heat from ministers and party MLAs, who accuse him of not taking them along. Aujla will not oppose Manmohan’s candidature and the move will also end the tussle for the Gurdaspur seat. Rajya Sabha MP Partap Singh Bajwa has offered to give up his membership for Manmohan and contest from his home seat, Gurdaspur, now represented by his arch-rival Jakhar after winning a bypoll.
Singh is a five-time Rajya Sabha member. He did not contest any election after losing in 1999 Lok Sabha polls.
The state screening committee comprising Amarinder, Jakhar, Asha Kumari and AICC general secretary (organisation) will meet in New Delhi on Sunday to shortlist the names. The names will be sent to the central election committee headed by party president Rahul Gandhi and will be announced in a week.
