Punjab: Congress gets into damage control mode after Amarinder hints at launch of his own party
The Congress had entered damage control mode even as former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced that he would form his own party. Singh on Wednesday said he will launch his new political party when the Election Commission clears the name and symbol, and claimed that many people from the Congress are in touch with him. Sensing the danger, party leader Rahul Gandhi had met at least four leaders considered close to Amarinder Singh on October 26.
According to reports, leaders like Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Balbir Singh Sidhu, Sundar Shyam Arora and Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi met the Congress leader. Apart from this, Rahul had also met Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and on Thursday.
It is being said that, Singh's party may spoil the electoral maths of the Congress in Punjab, so the party has already come into damage control mode to minimize this potential loss.
In what could be a headache for the Congress, Singh has claimed that many leaders are in touch with him, so the party has established contact with all those leaders who are considered close to the former Punjab CM, or who can join their party. Singh had said that he would soon launch his own party, and that he was hopeful of a seat adjustment with the BJP provided the ongoing farmers' stir was resolved in their interest. He also asserted that he had never spoken of aligning with the BJP, and that all he wanted was seat sharing.
Singh had resigned as the Punjab chief minister amid a bitter power tussle with Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.
