M A I N   N E W S

Capt, Dullo differ on alliance with Left
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 23
Differing with the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC), Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, with regard to forming an electoral alliance with Left parties in the coming Assembly elections, the Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, today categorically said he would not enter into any such tie-up with them in Punjab.

“I had a bad experience of entering into an alliance with Left parties first as the PPCC President and later as Chief Minister during the last Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. I will not repeat the same,” he said.

This had also been conveyed to the Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, he said.

The PPCC president, Mr Shamsher Singh Dullo, had indicated the possibility of an electoral tie-up with the Left. “I will also sit with Mr Dullo and discuss this issue with him,” he said.

“Last time, supporters of the Left did not vote in favour of the Congress candidates in the Lok Sabha elections. I had rung up the CPI leader, Dr Joginder Dayal and the CPM leader, Mr Balwant Singh, to bring this matter to their notice but they continued to dodge me in this regard,” he said.

Moreover, Left parties were going with the Third Front which had been proposed by Akali leaders like Mr Prem Singh Chandumajra.

When asked whether the Congress would tie up with the BSP, Capt Amarinder Singh said that it was too early to say. “Nothing will materialise before October-end and only then I would be able to say whether the party will form a coalition to contest the elections or not.”

When asked to comment on Mr Dullo’s statement that the Congress will not give party tickets to Khalistanis and those who have joined the party recently, Capt Amarinder Singh said that no Khalistani had joined the Congress in the past few weeks. “Some Akali leaders have joined the party and the Akalis are not Khalistanis,” he added.

“The winnability factor will be the criteria of the Congress party to give party tickets in the Assembly elections and if anyone among the new entrants has a good chance of winning the election, I will support his nomination,” he said.

“I am not asking any Akali leader to join the Congress by promising him a party ticket. They had joined the party to strengthen it,” he added.

“They are joining the party on their own accepting the fact that Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) will never return to power,” said Capt Amarinder Singh welcoming Mr Satinderpal Singh Gill, son of former Akali minister Jagdev Singh Tajpuri, in the party fold.

Mr Gill, along with a good number of supporters, joined the Congress party at a function organised at the Punjab Bhavan today. Besides, Capt Amarinder Singh, many senior Congress ministers were present on the occasion.

“Many more Akali leaders including SGPC members will join the Congress in the days to come. I will not disclose their names at this stage,” he added.

Asked about his Dubai visit and a statement made in this connection by Akali leader, Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal, he said that he had gone to attend a marriage. “I had made a commitment to attend the marriage in the family of a friend. I did take the permission of the Prime Minister as well as of Ms Sonia Gandhi for this visit on which I spent from my pocket,” he said.

He said he would not comment on what Mr Sukhbir Badal said. He said Sukhbir Badal had nothing positive to say on any issue. “Mr Sukhbir Badal is a leader with very little intellect and vision and his thinking process is blank like a wall. One never hears from him what he and his father want to do for the development of the state,” he said.