Amarinder has Bihar recipe on mind
Thursday, 03/12/2015
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
Amritsar : Left to Capt Amarinder Singh, the Congress would like a Bihar recipe for Punjab. The newly appointed state Congress chief today hinted at 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) for the 2017 Assembly elections. Though he refused to spell out the names of the prospective partners, he said it could be an alliance of secular parties tied together with a development agenda. Capt Amarinder was on his maiden visit to the holy city post his recent elevation in the party.
The Congress has had alliance with CPI and CPM in the 2007 elections. The party continues to be in touch with the Left. The party also has Manpreet Badal-led Peoples Party of Punjab (PPP) on mind for the prospective alliance. Plus, the party may give some weightage to fringe Akali factions.
Accompanied by senior party leaders, including the newly appointed chairperson of the Congress campaign committee, Ambika Soni, the Congress crew paid obeisance at the Golden Temple before commencing their fresh innings on the state's poll pitch.
On the recent unrest in Punjab, Capt Amarinder Singh said it was engineered by none other than the Badal government. He stressed that the CBI probe into the Kotkapura firing followed by the holy book sacrilege instances would not be enough unless the police officials concerned were made to be a part of the investigations.
Foreseeing no threat from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the state, the PPCC chief said: "Any secular party in Punjab can join us provided there is a mutual understanding. I don't foresee any threat from SAD because they have already lost the faith of the people by being a part in the sacrilege incidents and later shielding the police involved in firing at peaceful protesters at Kotkapura."
"The AAP's influence in the state is limited as the party hardly has any policy, programme or agenda. I invite Arvind Kejriwal to join the fray. After looking at his dismal performance in Delhi as the Chief Minister, I doubt if he could deliver here. He only indulged in blame game for his helplessness in fulfilling the promises he made in his manifesto," he said.
The newly appointed state Congress chief said the party’s thrust would be the youth in the run-up to the Assembly polls.
