AMARINDER’S STAND REMAINS UNCHANGED OVER PARTY REVAMP IN PUNJAB

CHANDIGARH, July 31: Capt Amarinder has time and again reiterated that the real issue facing the party in Punjab was its strengthening and revival to dislodge the Akali Dal-BJP government from the state. And there has been no change in his stand on the issue nor has he entertained or accepted any suggestions or proposals to reconsider it as reported in a section of the media on Friday. He has already conveyed his views to the party high command about a couple of months ago and nothing has changed since then and his stand remains the same. This has also been endorsed by the rank and file of the party including a predominant majority of the sitting and former legislators besides the multitude of crowds who attended his rallies in the first phase of the mass contact programme. The second phase of the rallies will begin from August 4. There is no truth in the reports that he has reconsidered or reviewed his stand on the leadership issue in Punjab, which he has duly conveyed to the party high command. Capt Amarinder is of the firm belief that the party needs a strong, powerful and popular leadership in Punjab to combat the Akalis and the BJP. While appointing the leader is indeed the discretion of the high command, at the same time the leader must be acceptable to the party rank and file across the state and must enjoy the trust and confidence of people as well. Capt Amarinder has never made the announcement of Chief Ministerial candidate an issue. What he has always emphasised is strengthening the party and boosting the morale of the rank and file and channelize the anger and alienation against the Akali-BJP regime in a way that party storms to power in Punjab in 2017. He has been moving across the state and has succeeded in building up a powerful movement against the ruling Akali-BJP alliance. For this, his stand remains the same that there needs to be total revamp of the party at the grass-roots like block and district level to build up a powerful and effective campaign against the Akali-BJP alliance. Distribution of tickets and nominating or appointing the Chief Minister will come later. Ticket distribution has to be made on the basis of winnability of the candidates and not for appeasing and obliging different sections of the leadership for the sake of maintaining a balance. There is no truth in the reports that he held any special meeting with Fateh Jang Bajwa, the younger brother of the PCC president Partap Singh Bajwa, either. Mr Fateh Jang met him for a few seconds during a book launch function on Friday near the dais and wanted an appointment. Capt Amarinder told him that he will be away to Patiala for some days and that was the end of the conversation. Nor has any meeting been scheduled between the two in the near future.