Capt projects self as Cong chief - 32 MLAs attend; royal ignore for PPCC prez
Sunday, 25/01/2015
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AMRITSAR: The state Congress on Saturday declared an all-out battle against drugs in Punjab under former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who was projected as the “unchallenged” leader of the party.
“This is the beginning of our battle against drugs and the time for us to take a pledge to eradicate the menace if we have to save Punjab,” Amarinder told an impressive gathering at the party’s Lalkar rally.
State Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa got the royal ignore as Amarinder did not mention him, saying the battle would be fought under Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
The rally was more of a ‘lalkar’ (challenge) to Bajwa’s leadership than it was to the Akali-BJP combine. The tone for the agenda for the 2017 assembly polls was set by Congress Legislature Party leader Sunil Jakhar when he indicated that his party had taken upon itself the ‘lalkar’ of getting rid of the SAD-BJP government with people’s support. The only person who could cleanse Punjab (of drugs) was Amarinder, he said, projecting the former CM as the undisputed leader of the party.
Amarinder, also the local MP, did not indulge in his usual bashing of the Badals or Majithia, and urged those present to perform an ‘ardas’ (prayer) so that the drug menace could be eradicated.
