Capt Invites Sidhu

The Congress’ Punjab chief Amarinder Singh has yet again invited Navjot Singh Sidhu to join the party.

According to a report in a leading TV channel from India, Amarinder Singh said, “Sidhu has the Congress in his DNA. His father was a general secretary of the party and remains a member. I know him since he was a boy.” He further said, that the “doors of the Congress are open for Sidhu.”

Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as a BJP parliamentarian on July 18 and there were rumours that he might be joining the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on August 15.

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh hassaid that only one member from a family will get ticket to contest 2017 assembly elections on the party symbol.

“No person will be given chance to contest from two assembly seats…Only one member from a family will get ticket,” he told reporters here after the meeting of various committees of Punjab Congress.
In Punjab 1661 applications have been received by the party from candidates to fight polls on Congress symbol. There are 117 assembly seats in Punjab and many candidates and family members have applied on multiple seats to fight polls.

Singh said that out of total applications 1025 are of general category, 636 reserve and over 500 youths below the age of 45.

With cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu keeping his cards close to his chest after resigning from the Rajya Sabha seat, Singh said Sidhu is welcome to join the Congress.

“Sidhu belongs to an old Congress family with his father remaining a member of the party. He (Sidhu) has got DNA of Congress in him,” he said. “We can find an eminent role for Sidhu in the Congress,” he said. Rejecting that there was an Aam Aadmi Part (AAP) wave in Punjab, Singh claimed the Congress would decimate Akalis and AAP in the 2107 assembly polls.  He said that Congress doors are open to suspended Akali Dal MLAs Pargat Singh and Inderbir Singh Bolaria also.

He said that the Congress election manifesto will be a comprehensive document listing issues of youths, farmers, drugs, agriculture, dalits, women and urban.

On Haryana Chief Minister M L Khattar reportedly meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and suggesting that Chandigarh administration’s Administrator post must be on rotation from Punjab and Haryana, Singh dismissed the idea while asking Khattar to read history as this step will be in violation of Rajiv-Longowal accord.

Meanwhile, Punjab Congress spokesman Sunil Kumar Jakhar said that his party had taken a strong note on CLP leader Charanjit Singh Channi not being invited for the Punjab Governor’s swearing in ceremony. “CLP leader holds a constitutional post. He was not invited as per the protocol…The newly appointed Governor should take note of it,” he said.

He also alleged that the Akali government is misappropriating funds from the Centre meant for dalit students scholarships.