Punjab Congress leaders met again on Wednesday to discuss strategy for the Lok Sabha elections next year.
The meeting held in Delhi was attended by senior leaders of the Punjab Congress and party MPs from the state. The party leaders discussed all 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state and the possibility of going into the elections in alliance with the AAP, people privy to the meeting said. They said the opinion was divided on the issue of a tie-up with the AAP in the state. While most of the state unit leaders have strong reservations, party MPs from the state are positive about the coalition.
All-India Congress Committee Punjab affairs in-charge Harish Chaudhary, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Partap Singh Bajwa were among those who attended the meeting. After the meeting, Chaudhary was tight-lipped about the deliberations held in the meeting, stating that no party discloses its poll strategy to the media. Bajwa, who has been publicly opposing any seat-sharing with the AAP in Punjab, said there was a discussion on all 13 parliamentary seats in the state. “We talked about how to contest the election, campaign strategy and other things. There was no discussion on the alliance,” he said. Another party leader said the decision on alliance comes under the purview of the Congress high command which has not given any clear indication so far.
Wednesday’s meeting is the third discussion held by the state leaders in one week on the upcoming elections. Chaudhary, who met top leaders of the Punjab Congress in Chandigarh on Friday, had asked them to gear up to contest for all 13 seats in the state. They were told to prepare a list of two to four probable candidates. The central leadership has also asked the state Congress to hold a survey on the pros and cons of alliance, prospects and probable candidates. Both Congress and AAP are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), the opposition parties’ bloc to put up a united fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in general elections. The bloc members are scheduled to hold a meeting on December 19 to devise their poll strategy.
{{/usCountry}}Wednesday’s meeting is the third discussion held by the state leaders in one week on the upcoming elections. Chaudhary, who met top leaders of the Punjab Congress in Chandigarh on Friday, had asked them to gear up to contest for all 13 seats in the state. They were told to prepare a list of two to four probable candidates. The central leadership has also asked the state Congress to hold a survey on the pros and cons of alliance, prospects and probable candidates. Both Congress and AAP are part of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), the opposition parties’ bloc to put up a united fight against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in general elections. The bloc members are scheduled to hold a meeting on December 19 to devise their poll strategy.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Warring said the state Congress plans to take people from the state by buses to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh for the inauguration of the Ram Temple on January 22. “Lord Ram belongs to all. He does not belong to any one person or any party…It does not matter who inaugurates the temple. Many people wish to be there in Ayodhya on the inauguration day,” he told TV reporters. The temple will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.