The landslide victory of the Badal-led Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD-B) in the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) elections has not only shown the strength of party president Sukhbir Singh Badal, but also landed yet another blow to Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) chief Capt
Amarinder Singh, who personally campaigned for the incumbent DSGMC chief Paramajit Singh Sarna.
Amarinder and his wife, union minister of state for external affairs Preneet Kaur, campaigned in the gurdwara polls despite criticism from Amarinder's intra-party rival Rajinder Kaur Bhattal. "What was the need of campaigning there when Delhi CM Sheila Dixit, who is close to the Sarnas, avoided it?" said a Congress MLA, refusing to be named, adding, "The undue involvement of the PPCC president and his family in a lost cause has given the Badals another stick ahead of the Moga bypoll."
Bhattal sounded vindicated on Wednesday, "I was always against interfering in religious matters as the Congress is a secular party. Personal friendship of Capt Amarinder Singh with Parmjit Singh Sarna couldn't be the reason for an exception. Now, I won't comment to the media any further, but would raise the matter at the party platform".
Despite several attempts, Amarinder was not available for comment.