Chandigarh: Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has rubbished reports of "backend talks" with the Congress leadership to retain him in the party. "Reports of backend talks with Congress are incorrect. The time for rapprochement is over. I'm grateful to Sonia Gandhi ji for her support but will not stay in Congress now," Amarinder's aide Raveen Thukral quoted him as saying.
Following the former Chief Minister's announcement of launching a new party, a Chandigarh-based newspaper had recently reported that "senior Congress leaders are learned to be engaged in backend talks to persuade the former CM to stay in the party".
Thukral tweeted on behalf of the former Chief Minister that he will soon launch his own party and will hold talks for seat-sharing with BJP, breakaway Akali factions & others for Punjab elections once the farmers' issue was resolved. "I want to build a strong collective force in the interest of Punjab & its farmers," he said.
Fearing a split in votes in the state ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the newspaper reported Congress insiders as saying that the party didn't want Amarinder fielding candidates against Congress nominees as he is likely to attract disgruntled Congress leaders who were denied a ticket and could divide the party's prospective votes.
Captain Singh, while announcing his plans for a new party, had said that many leaders were already in touch with him and that he'd reveal their names at an "opportune moment". He has also said that his new party plans to contest on all 117 assembly seats in Punjab and is discussing a seat-sharing arrangement with the BJP. He said he is open to aligning with breakaway Akali groups to defeat the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Congress, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the state.
War of words between Sidhu and Capt
Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu and Amarinder slugged it out in a Twitter duel. It began with Sidhu tweeting, “We the 78 MLAs of Congress, could never imagine, what we received - an arm-twisted, ED-controlled BJP loyal CM of Punjab Capt Amarinder… who sold the interests of Punjab to save his skin! Everyone knows you have colluded with Badals!” Sidhu tweeted, adding, “You’ll be remembered as Jaichand of Punjab’s political history. Last time you formed your own party, you lost your ballot, garnering only 856 votes.” “You do have the knack of putting your foot in your mouth Navjot Sidhu! The 856 votes you are mocking came even after I withdrew my nomination from Kharar since I’d won unopposed from Samana. So what does that show? Or are you too dumb to understand,” Amarinder was quoted in a tweet by his adviser Raveen Thukral.
