Captain throws political googly on Lambi pitch

Sunday, 15/01/2017

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Chandigarh : Punjab Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh on Saturday played a political googly as he claimed to have sought the party high command’s permission to fight the assembly elections from Lambi, the home turf of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, to ensure the total defeat of the Akali leadership in Punjab.

The PPCC president claimed that the move was initiated as he wanted to defeat all the top Akali leaders responsible for destroying the state through their “ill-deeds”. Patiala Royal, however, mentioned that he would fight from Patiala too, if the Congress high command permits him to contest from both seats.

His statement created a buzz in the political circles with a majority of the observers seeing it the outcome of the pressure built by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in past few days. Observing people not trusting upon his statement, Amarinder in the late evening also tweeted about his plan to file the nominations on the last scheduled day, January 18.

The AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is consistently alleging that the ensuing assembly election in Punjab is between AAP and SAD-BJP-Congress, also laying stress on the point that “Badals have colluded with Captain Amarinder to stop AAP coming into power.”

He has been daring Amarinder to contest against any of the two Badals, with claiming that the AAP would now foil the “tacit understanding” of the two.

Though this statement hardly affects the ruling Badals for them having never showed a cruel face to Amarinder, it put “firebrand” PPCC chief under pressure as he is contesting the polls announcing it to be his last political battle.

In 2012 polls, Amarinder used to pose with a ‘Khunda’ in his hand and charge the cadre saying he would beat the Badals with that only and every time his promise used to draw round of applause from the party workers. However, now the changed Captain says, “Khunda is not required to set the things right.”

It is pertinent to mention that Amarinder is this time quite mellowed in speeches if one compares to his tone and tenor in the previous elections and this change has been objected by the party leaders at times.

Even Indian Youth Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring was also heard urging Captain from Maghi stage of 2016 that people wanted to listen to his aggressive speech in which he must mention severe punishment to the ruling party leaders after coming to power.

Interestingly, Amarinder Singh’s statement on Saturday has been welcomed by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal himself and also the Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal.

While senior Badal termed it a smart ploy of Rahul Gandhi to get rid of the Captain Amarinder Singh by pushing him into Lambi, Sukhbir quipped: “I urge Amarinder Singh to take quick permission from the party’s Central leadership to contest from Lambi before the nomination filing process comes to an end.” Claiming that Rahul doesn’t like Amarinder, the Chief Minister said that he knew that Captain would try “to play to the gallery with false bravado which everyone in Punjab is familiar with. But we are fine with his antics.”

As Sukhbir is repeatedly denying any truth between AAP’s statement of collusion between Congress and SAD, clarifying that the Shiromani Akali Dal could never go with a party which is “responsible for attack on Akal Takht and Sikh genocide,” taking a jibe at Amarinder, he said that the PPCC president had been resorting to cheap theatrics since the last few months, including false promises of a farm loan waiver which had not been reflected in the party’s manifesto, and the development that he had asked for permission to contest against Parkash Singh Badal was another ploy to gain cheap publicity.

“There is widespread revolt against the manner in which party tickets are being distributed from Delhi. Some tickets are being changed days after being allocated. Many Congress men are passing no confidence motions against Amarinder and he has become jittery even as he described this latest development as a pathetic and last ditch attempt by a failed raja to stem the rot in his sinking ship,” Sukhbir took the pot shot.

Later, Arvind Kejriwal also questioned Amarinder through a tweet: “Sir will you contest two seats or only Lambi. If you go for two seats, people will call u coward.”

With sensation created all around, only the time will now tell if Captain’s political googly works on Lambi pitch or not.

With big names coming, all eyes to be on Lambi, Jalalabad

Chandigarh: If all goes as being projected, Lambi and Jalalabad will be the hottest seats of Punjab Vidhan Sabha assembly polls, scheduled for February 4.

Earlier, with the announcement of Bhagwant Mann as AAP’s candidate against Sukhbir Singh Badal from Jalalabad, people had started expecting it to be the toughest contest but with Captain Amarinder Singh claiming to go against Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal from his traditional seat Lambi, it would be a more interesting match.

AAP has fielded its Delhi MLA Jarnail Singh Khalsa against the CM Badal from Lambi but if Congress allows Amarinder Singh to go as per his wish, the move would definitely checkmate the so-called wave of the AAP. It would also make the AAP leaders speechless, who have been consistently claiming Badals and Capt Amarinder having a nexus.

Meanwhile, the Congress, as learnt, is also persuading former BJP MP Navjot Singh Sidhu to contest against Sukhbir Singh Badal from Jalalabad, where AAP has pitted Bhagwant Mann.