Attacking the Badals, who head the ruling SAD, the Congress leader claimed “they have grabbed every business in Punjab”. In the same breath, he took a swipe at the Prime Minister for backing the Akalis.
Addressing his first election rallies in Punjab which will vote on February 4 for a new assembly, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi announced that state Congress president Captain Amarinder Singh will be Chief Minister if the party comes to power. On January 20, The Indian Express first reported that Rahul was set to name Amarinder as the party’s chief ministerial face.
At a rally in Majitha, Rahul described the AAP as an outsider whose “leader wants to become the Chief Minister of both Delhi and Punjab”. Pointing to Amarinder, who was also on the stage, he declared: “Punjab ke CM yahan baithe hain (the Punjab CM is sitting here).”
Attacking the Badals, who head the ruling SAD, the Congress leader claimed “they have grabbed every business in Punjab”. In the same breath, he took a swipe at the Prime Minister for backing the Akalis.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims he is the protector of religion and fights corruption. In Hinduism, truth is most important. But he will come to Punjab and stand by Sukhbir Badal to claim he fights corruption. How can you fight corruption with Akalis? It is not possible.”
Cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu, who recently quit the BJP and joined Congress, was also present on the stage at the rally organised by Congress Majitha candidate Sukhjinder Raj Singh Lali Majithia, who is up against Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia, the ruling SAD candidate.
The AAP, contesting the Punjab assembly polls for the first time, had been taunting the Congress for not announcing a CM candidate. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal had repeatedly said at his rallies that Sidhu was the unofficial CM candidate of Congress because Rahul did not like Amarinder.
So, Rahul targeted Kejriwal and his party: “AAP will say in Delhi that Punjab’s water is for Delhi. In Haryana, they will say it is for Haryana, and in Punjab, they will say it is for Punjab. Their leader want to become the Chief Minister of both Delhi and Punjab. AAP pushed 40,000 Delhi workers and leaders into Punjab to tell people how Punjab should be run. Punjab does not need to be controlled by remote. Punjab will be run by Punjab and its people. Punjab’s Chief Minister is going to be from Punjab. I want to tell you that the Punjab CM is sitting here.”
“It won’t be the one-man government you have seen in Delhi. Captain Amarinder Singh will take every decision after discussing it with Congress workers and people of Punjab,” Rahul said.
Congress sources said the announcement by Rahul was also aimed at strengthening the claim of Captain Amarinder Singh on the Lambi seat where he is taking on Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. “Now we will tell voters of Lambi that you are going to be represented by the CM again,” a Congress leader said.
