New Delhi, August 6
The Congress today tactfully handed over the most important task of fighting the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections in Punjab to Capt Amarinder Singh, thus marking the return of the former Chief Minister to the forefronts of Punjab politics. Amarinder will head the campaign committee of the Congress, while the party retained Mohinder Singh Kaypee as the working president of the party in the state.
Minutes after the announcement was made by the All Indian Congress Committee, Amarinder Singh said, “I am satisfied and it was an honour to lead the party’s campaign programme in Punjab”. And true to his style, flamboyant Amarinder Singh said: “I have already started working and we will win all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab. The popularity of the Akalis was at rock bottom as they have tried to disturb the social and economic structure of the state.”
He reminded that in 1999 he was the PPCC chief when the Congress won 11 out of the 13 Lok Sabha seats. The sooner Badal and his son were out of Punjab the better it would be for the state, said Amarinder Singh.
Amarinder Singh could not have been made the PPCC chief as none of former chief ministers like Digvijay Singh and Ashok Gehlot were handed back the reign of the respective Congress units. While a section of leaders were clear that
Amarinder was needed to counter the aggression of the Akalis, making him the PPCC chief was not possible.
Meanwhile, the orders on Kaypee say that he would hold the charge of PPCC president, but not officiate as the PPCC chief. He is not a full time president and there is no president of the PPCC for the time being.
Kaypee was a minister in Amarinder Singh’s Cabinet. It is expected that the next PPCC chief, whenever appointed, will be a Hindu leader.
The Congress high command will review the arrangement in the next few months to see if everything was working fine.
Rajinder Kaur Bhattal retains her post as leader of the Congress Legislative Party (CLP). Ashwani Sekhri from Batala will be the convener of the campaign committee. The name of Brahm Mohindra, MLA from Samana, was considered for deputy leader of the CLP, but was not announced today. Mohindra is seen as a Hindu leader of Malwa region.
