Chandigarh,The Punjab Congress would contest the forthcoming local bodies elections on the party symbol. The announcement to this effect was made by the state party chief Mr Partap Singh Bajwa while addressing a meeting of the PPCC which had been summoned to chalk out strategy for these elections.
The local leaders would have the option to have alliance with non-Akali and non-BJP parties.
Addressing the meeting, Mr Bajwa said the tsunami of anger was sweeping the length and breadth of the state and the people who were fed up with the present administration wanted change. The Congress would have to unitedly approach them to initiate the process of change beginning with the local bodies elections.
He said such was the situation that the Bharatiya Janata Party was trying for some escape route so that only the Akalis faced the brunt of anti-incumbency. The Congress would make the people aware about this hidden design of the BJP in the state which might try to befool them by breaking the alliance. However, the two parties might join hands after the Assembly elections in case such a situation arose, he added.
He asserted that the state had been the most peaceful under the Congress rule and always on a higher tangent of growth. He debunked the Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, who had been defending the alliance as the best guarantor of communal harmony.
The AICC Secretary Mr Harish Chaudhary called upon the party leaders to strengthen the party at the grassroots and prepare for the elections by setting up 11-member booth level committees. He did not rule out early Assembly elections in Punjab.
He stressed the need to empower workers upto the lowest level as that would be the basic strength of the party.
Others who attended the meeting included Mr K Raju Chairman SC Department AICC, District Incharges Sh Brahm Mohindra, Vice President, PPCC, Dr. Amar Singh Vice President, PPCC, S. Surinder Pal Singh Sibia, Vice President PPCC, S. Sardul Singh, Vice President, PPCC , S. Sadhu Singh Dharamsot, Vice President, S. Sangat Singh Gilzian, Vice President, PPCC , S Jasbir Singh Dimpa, General Secretary, PPCC, Sh Yoginder Pal Dhingra, General Secretary, PPCC, S Rajanbir Singh, General Secretary, PPCC, S. Joginder Singh Mann, General Secretary, PPCC, PPCC, , Sh. Hans Raj Josan, General Secretary, PPCC, S Amarinder Singh Warring, General Secretary, PPCC, Sh. Pawan Adia, General Secretary, PPCC, PPCC, Sh Bharat Bhushan Ashu, General Secretary, PPCC, Sh. Surinder Kumar Dawar, General Secretary, PPCC, Sh Rajinder Deepa, Secretary, PPCC, S Paramjit Singh Randhawa, Secretary, Sh. Anil Dutta, Secretary, PPCC, Prof Gurwinder Singh Mamanke, Secretary, PPCC, S Inderpal Singh Dhanna, Chairman, Legal Cell, PPCC, District Presidents Sh. Rajiv Bhagat (Advocate), Sh. Gurjit Singh Aujla , Sh. Sukhjinder S Randhawa, MLA, Sh. Anil Vij , Sh. Sham Sunder Arora, MLA , Sh Dharampal Bangar, Sh. Prem Krishan Puri, Sh. Hardyal S Kamboj, MLA, Sh. Navtej S Cheema, MLA, Sh. Malkiat Singh Dakha,Sh. Balbir Singh Sidhu, MLA , Sh. Lakhvir Singh Lakha, S. Paramjit Singh Maan, Mai Roop Kaur, Sh. Bikram Mofar, Sh. Mohan Lal Aggarwal , Sh. Gura Singh Tungwali, Sh. Joginder S Panjgrahian, MLA , Sh. Sukhpal Singh Bhullar , Sh. Gurmeet Singh Khudian , Sh. Darshan Singh Brar , Sh. Harbhag Singh Saini , Sh.Chamkaur Singh , Sh. Rajinder Berry, S. Jagbir Singh Brar, S. Harinder Singh Bhambri and Block Observers and heads of cells and Frontal Organisations and Mrs Lakhwinder Kaur Garcha, General Secretary PPCC, and Mr Gurpartap Singh Mann, Secretary.