Suratgarh, November 28
It’s a visit that the Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, would like to forget in a hurry. A star campaigner in these parts, he and his entourage were shocked when no one from the local unit of the Congress or the candidate turned up to greet or accompany him to the venue. He was supposed to address a rally in support of Ms Vijayluxmi Bishnoi, sitting MLA who has been renominated for the seat.
Sources revealed that Capt Amarinder Singh reached Suratgarh around 8pm yesterday after addressing an election meeting at Pilibanga. He was surprised when no one from the Congress came to meet or welcome him. It was left to the Duty Magistrate accompanying him to guide the convoy to the rest house of the Suratgarh Thermal Power Station.
When there was no sign of any Congress leader or worker despite waiting for 20 minutes, the Chief Minister decided to visit an old friend at the cantonment here. He stayed in the Officers Mess for an hour but still there was no word from the organisers of the rally that he was supposed to address.
The wait began again and calls were made to members of the local unit, but in vain. To make matters worse, no dinner arrangements for the Chief Minister had been made as the staff were in the dark about his visit.
The Duty Magistrate then directed security personnel to have dinner at a nearby dhaba while he went and got dinner packed for the Chief Minister and senior members of his personal staff.
At 11pm, the staff decided that it was time to turn in and Capt Amarinder Singh went off to sleep at about 11.30pm.
Mr Sunil Bishnoi, a former legislator and husband of the MLA, came to meet the Chief Minister the next morning. It is not known what transpired at the meeting, but no rally was addressed and no one else met them. Capt Amarinder Singh was to address a rally today at Sriganganagar.
