Following his removal from the Congress Working Committee, former MP, Jagmeet Brar on Wednesday was back in Punjab urging senior leaders to unite to defeat ruling SAD in the lok Sabha polls.
“Under the leadership of stalwarts like Amarinder Singh, Ambika Soni, Preneet Kaur, Partap Singh Bajwa and others, the party must make all out efforts to win the 13 lok Sabha seats in Punjab,” Brar said. Former CWC member, who claimed to have been sent to Punjab to strengthen Congress hold in the State for upcoming lok Sabha elections, stated that the leaders like Capt Amarinder Singh, Bajwa and Rajinder Kaur Bhattal among others should save the state from sliding like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
“Congress stalwarts from Punjab must be fielded against Badal and his family members in the lok Sabha polls,” he said.On Capt Amarinder’s recent appointment as permanent invitee in the CWC replacing him, Brar said, “Amarinder has been given a senior position in the party...He is a much better candidate from Bathinda lok Sabha seat against SAD's Harsimrat Kaur Badal.” Harsimrat, a MP from Bathinda, is wife of Punjab Deputy Chief Minister and SAD president Sukhbir Badal.
He said that he had no grudges against anyone after his removal from the position as CWC’s special invitee. “I will keep working for the party...I have no personal agenda,” said Brar, who has been in Congress for 32 years. “I am indebted to Sonia and satisfied and grateful that she gave me an opportunity to serve the people of Punjab,” he said. Further giving his opinion on possible Congress contenders against “strong” Badals, Brar said “Former chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal should be put up from Sangrur, while present PPCC chief and sitting Gurdaspur MP Partap Singh Bajwa should be asked to seek re-election from his constituency. Union Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur should also fight from Patiala.”
The Congress leader said that he fully supported an electoral alliance with People’s Party of Punjab (PPP) for the upcoming parliamentary elections. Brar also said that he would prefer to contest for the state assembly from Muktsar constituency if the opportunity presented itself.