Punjab elections: Amarinder Singh named Congress’s CM candidate
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi made the announcement at an election rally in Amritsar in the presence of Amarinder Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu
New Delhi: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday declared at a public rally in Punjab that veteran Amarinder Singh would head the state government if the party comes to power in the upcoming assembly election.
The Congress made Singh, 74, the “face of the party" in Punjab last year, but a delay in his anointment as its chief ministerial candidate had raised concerns among senior leaders about the party’s performance and the morale of its cadre.
“Punjab will be run by its people. I want to tell you that Punjab’s chief minister will be from Punjab and Punjab’s chief minister is sitting here. Amarinder Singh is Punjab’s chief ministerial candidate and he will be Punjab’s chief minister," Gandhi at an election rally in the presence of Singh and Navjot Singh Sidhu in Majitha in Amritsar on Friday.
This is Gandhi’s first visit to Punjab after the assembly elections were announced by the Election Commission in early January. Punjab goes to the polls on 4 February
Amarinder Singh has himself been vocal about the need to make a formal announcement of his candidacy given that he has already launched his campaign in the state.
Gandhi, who is on a three-day tour of poll-bound Punjab, also said the Congress was fighting the election not for power, but to save Punjabiyat and Punjab’s honour.
“If Congress comes to power, then the government will bring in a law to deal with the drug menace in the state and put all those carrying out drugs business behind bars," he said.
Gandhi also attacked the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal party led by chief minister Parkash Singh Badal for not acting against the drug menace and neglecting the development of the state.
“After the Badals came to power in Punjab, they took everything — Punjab’s water, energy and resources and divided amongst themselves and left nothing for the people of Punjab," he said.
Congress will be competing against the incumbent Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party combine and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in a tight three-cornered contest in Punjab
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