Exuding confidence that Congress would “sweep” the Punjab polls, party’s Punjab chief Amarinder Singh today said while deciding on party tickets “winnability” criteria was given prime importance.
“Winnability criteria was kept at the top while giving tickets. We chose the best. In some seats, we even had 3 to 4 candidates who were equally good, out of which we had to pick one,” he said.
Despite the dissidence, Singh exuded confidence that the party will “sweep the polls”.
“We are winning 70 plus seats,” he said, claiming that Akalis would be wiped out.
“I have also heard that (Chief Minister Parkash Singh) Badal is looking for Mansa, another seat to fight for (in addition to his present constituency Lambi),” he said replying to a question.
Commenting on Malvinder Singh, who like Amarinder belongs to the erstwhile Patiala Royal family, being denied the ticket, he said, “I talked to him last night and told him whatever decision has been taken by the Congress President is in the larger interest of the party. I told him that sometimes our party President has to take a larger view”.
Amarinder said that his brother was “upset” at being ignored as he felt that for the past 35 years he has been in the party and on three occasions he has not got a chance to enter the electoral fray.
“He has known the Congress President since the day of her marriage and late Rajiv Gandhi and he was his classmate…I hope he will consider in that light,” Amarinder said when asked to comment on Malvinder threatening to contest as Independent from Samana assembly seat against his nephew Raninder Singh.
“I would have liked a lot of people to be accommodated, but it does not happen that way,” he said.
Amarinder denied that his wife and Raninder’s mother (Union Minister) Preneet Kaur had anything to do with his candidature and added it was “a unilateral choice of the Congress President.”
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- Amarinder’s tenure a dark period in Punjab history
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