Gill Saab
Yaar Malang
Congress president Sonia Gandhi told the state unit leaders to stay united to win the Assembly elections scheduled for February next year.
In a meeting with state Congress leaders in Delhi, sources said Gandhi told them: “Do not give the impression we are not united. Put a united face and win the elections.” In the first coordination meeting of the Punjab Congress that lasted an hour, sources said the state unit also raised the issue of announcing early tickets for the Assembly polls so that the candidates can start campaigning early.
The state leaders tried to impress upon Gandhi that since at least 35 Assembly segments were carved out after delimitation, the candidates would need some time to nurture these constitutencies. Hence, if tickets are given early, it would be of help. The leaders said the party should concentrate on urban areas as the it had lost out to the BJP in the previous poll. Besides Punjab Congress in-charge Gulchain Singh Charak, state president Capt Amarinder Singh, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Parneet Kaur, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, MP Mohinder Singh Kapyee and Jagmeet Brar attended the meeting.
“In the morning, Amarinder met Sonia Gandhi separately and discussed a few issues,’’ said an insider. “The meeting was held to discuss the forthcoming elections. The state unit gave a plan to Gandhi what it will be doing, the yatra which Amariner is starting from November 1, and also talked about the manifesto as different committees are giving their input on it. It was a general meeting and the first meeting of the coordination committee,’’ Charak said.
Sources said Amarinder’s demand, which was supported by Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, that elections to Youth Congress posts should be held after the Assembly polls was turned down by the Congress high command, particularly by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
In a meeting with state Congress leaders in Delhi, sources said Gandhi told them: “Do not give the impression we are not united. Put a united face and win the elections.” In the first coordination meeting of the Punjab Congress that lasted an hour, sources said the state unit also raised the issue of announcing early tickets for the Assembly polls so that the candidates can start campaigning early.
The state leaders tried to impress upon Gandhi that since at least 35 Assembly segments were carved out after delimitation, the candidates would need some time to nurture these constitutencies. Hence, if tickets are given early, it would be of help. The leaders said the party should concentrate on urban areas as the it had lost out to the BJP in the previous poll. Besides Punjab Congress in-charge Gulchain Singh Charak, state president Capt Amarinder Singh, Union Minister of State for External Affairs Parneet Kaur, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Vidhan Sabha Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, MP Mohinder Singh Kapyee and Jagmeet Brar attended the meeting.
“In the morning, Amarinder met Sonia Gandhi separately and discussed a few issues,’’ said an insider. “The meeting was held to discuss the forthcoming elections. The state unit gave a plan to Gandhi what it will be doing, the yatra which Amariner is starting from November 1, and also talked about the manifesto as different committees are giving their input on it. It was a general meeting and the first meeting of the coordination committee,’’ Charak said.
Sources said Amarinder’s demand, which was supported by Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, that elections to Youth Congress posts should be held after the Assembly polls was turned down by the Congress high command, particularly by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
