Playing the political game by his own rules, former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Wednesday made it clear that he had complete support to lead Team Congress in Punjab. Removed from captaincy soon after his side’s defeat in the Assembly elections in Punjab some three years back, Capt Amarinder was projected as “Punjab’s next Chief Minister” on Wednesday by his supporters with the State Assembly polls still one-and-a-half year away.The party high command, on the other hand, is yet to take any call on the State leadership and had not even thought of party’s chief ministerial candidate for Assembly polls in 2017. His first rally at Jalandhar on Wednesday, among total 12 during his 18-day-long mass contact programme’s first phase, gave clear indications that the Patiala Royal had the backing of all prominent Congress legislators for regaining the captain’s position.
The rally drew good response with sitting legislators, MPs, ex-Ministers, and former MlAs not only from Doaba, but also from other regions of the State coming out in open support of the Amritsar MP and projected him as the next Chief Minister. Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Sunil Kumar Jakhar led from the front to vouch for Congress Deputy leader in the lok Sabha as the next Chief Minister. The other prominent leaders include Jalandhar MP Chaudhary Santokh Singh, former MP Mohinder Singh Kaypee, Punjab Youth Congress chief Vikram Chaudhary, Chaudhary Jagjit Singh, Avtar Henry and other sitting MlAs.
Capt Amarinder made some promises to the people in case Congress comes to power after 2017 polls including increasing compensation under Shagun scheme to Rs25,000, incentives to encourage industrialization, besides others. Capt Amarinder’s first rally at Dhina village in Jalandhar Cantonment, represented by former MlA Jagbir Brar — a staunch Amrinder loyalist — who was served show cause notice by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) Disciplinary Action Committee, began with strong anti-Bajwa chorus.
The leaders, speaking from the stage, criticises the PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa for issuing show cause notices to the three party leaders — Muktsar MlA Karan Kaur Brar, party general secretary Satnam Kainth and Jagbir Brar — on the charges of indiscipline.In fact, Capt Amarinder too questioned the “timing” of issuing notices to three Congress leaders. “Issuing notices a day before launch of my mass-contact programme reflected poorly on leadership abilities of the state party chief and raised suspicion in the minds of party leaders,” he said. The two senior leaders had been involved in a war for supremacy with Capt Amarinder & Co insisting on Bajwa’s ouster as PPCC president while maintaining that only Amritsar MP could lead the party towards victory for the 2017 polls — the sentiment shared by most of the leaders during the rally.
Even as Bajwa had urged Capt Amarinder to work in tandem for the party and Punjab, the Patiala Royal had, time and again, made it clear to the party high command that he could not work with Bajwa and turned down the offer of party’s campaign committee in-charge.Already, Bajwa is conducting his mass contact programme in all 34 reserved assembly constituencies of the state, which is getting an unenthusiastic response. Bajwa had even taken up the matter with the party high command regarding non-cooperation from leaders hailing from Capt Amarinder camp, including the sitting MlAs.Overwhelming response to Capt Amarinder’s first rally, and his show of strength is expected to give tough time to Bajwa to save his presidentship, and may force the party high command for a change of guard in the State.
Virtually launching his poll campaign much ahead the 2017 polls, Capt Amarinder gave a call to the people to make the State corruption-free by throwing out the SAD-BJP combine Government in 2017 elections.He sharply attacked the Parkash Singh Badal Government on corruption issue alleging that it was a “Government which is looting the people”.He lashed out at the ruling alliance on the deteriorating law and order situation in the State. “The police is busy in protecting the Badal family instead providing sense of security to the people at large,” he said.