CHANDIGARH, March 26: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today asked the district presidents from across the state to gear up for the corporation elections which might be announced anytime now. He also assured them that the indiscipline in the party will be firmly dealt with.
Barring Harpratap Ajnala (Amritsar Rural), who was busy with the marriage ceremony of his son and Ms Jagdarsharan Kaur, Moga who could not attend the meeting for personal reasons, all the 25 district presidents reposed their faith unanimously in Capt Amarinder’s leadership saying only he could provide good leadership to the party and only he could boost the morale of the party workers at this stage.
Presiding over the meeting of the district presidents which was convened today to take stock of the electoral results, Capt Amarinder maintained that the party may not have been able to form the government, but still it polled the largest number of votes, more than any other party including the Shiromani Akali Dal. He said, the Congress cadre at the grass-roots was quite strong and it only needed the inspiration.
He asked the district presidents to prepare for the corporation and the panchayat elections saying these might be announced anytime now. “I have learnt that the government might pre-pone these elections so we better be prepared”, he told them, while announcing that he will be moving around all the districts.
Responding to the demand of the district presidents that the indiscipline which was witnessed recently in the aftermath of the election results must be firmly dealt with, he said, he as well as the party high command had already taken serious note of it. He reiterated that the party leaders were welcome to air their grievances in the party forum whether with him or the high command but they are not allowed to go public.
Earlier the district presidents listed various factors for the election outcome. They were unanimous in their opinion that the party must firmly act against all those who worked against the official party candidates during the elections. Sukhjinder Randhawa from Gurdashpur, Pawan Dewan from Ludhiana, Arun Walia from Jallandhar Urban made a strong case for stern action against not only the rebels who are already expelled but all those who ganged up and worked against the party candidates.
To this Capt Amarinder said, he was already seized of the matter. He said, all those expelled will not be taken back and strong action will be taken against each and every leader who worked against the official candidates.
Those present at the meeting included Jugal Kishore Sharma (Amritsar Urban), Kuldeep Kumar Nanda (Hoshiarpur), Satvir Singh (Nawashahar), Prem Kishen Puri (Patiala Urban), Harjit Parmar (Kapurthala), Milkiat Singh Dakha (Ludhiana Rural), Pawan Dewan (Ludhiana Urban), Sukhbinder Saini (Ropar), Harinder Singh Bhambri (Fatehgarh Sahib), Hardayal Kambhoj (Patiala Rural), Surinder Gupta (Faridkot), Subash Grover (Sangrur), Jagsir Singh Gagowal (Mansa), Ashok Kumar (Bathinda Urban), Narinder Bhaleria (Bathinda Rural), Anoop Singh (Ferozepur), Gurdas Girdhar (Muktsar), Jagjit Singh Dhaula (Barnala), Dr Dharmapal Agnihotri (Tarn Taran), Arun Walia (Jallandhar Urban), Kanwarjit Singh Lalli (Jallandhar Rural), Davinder Singh Darshi (Pathankot) and Sukhjinder Randhawa (Gurdaspur).