Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who has vacated Patiala (Urban) Assembly seat after his election as Amritsar MP, on Sunday maintained that the party high command would decide on who would contest the subsequent byelection from the constituency.
“It is too early to announce the candidate from this seat and the decision as to who will contest from this seat would be that of the high command,” said Capt Amarinder.It is believed that Capt Amarinder’s wife and former Patiala MP Preneet Kaur may come as his replacement for the Patiala (Urban) Assembly seat. Former Union Minister, Preneet Kaur lost the recently-held lok Sabha elections from Patiala constituency to Aam Aadmi Party’s AAP candidate Dr Dharamvira Gandhi.
Now as Capt Amarinder has made foray into the national politics, it is believed that the Patiala royal family would not handover its bastion to any other leader, and may lead to swapping of roles between the royal couple. Speculations are rife that Maharani of erstwhile Patiala Royalty would be the best substitute for the Maharaja. It was also believed that the royal scion, Raninder Singh, may be given another chance to try his luck in the electoral field by providing him a safe seat to contest from.
Raninder had lost the earlier two elections he contested. His first electoral defeat was by the hands of Badal bahu, Harsimrat Kaur Badal, during 2009 lok Sabha polls in Bathinda. In 2012 assembly polls, Raninder lost to Akali leader Surjit Singh Rakhra from Samana.
leaving it all on the party high command, Capt Amarinder said: “I always wanted to be with the people of Punjab but I was directed by the high command to contest from Amritsar. Now, that I had to resign as the MlA, elections for my constituency can be announced anytime and we must start campaigning for our party.”
The Congress Working Committee’s member, demanding resignation of state Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa, added that the leader should take moral responsibility for the party's defeat in the State.