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Punjab: Partap Singh Bajwa begins poll activities in Batala
Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa says former three-time Batala MLA Ashwani Sekhri will be adjusted as per his stature; urges Punjab CM to grant district status to the town
Rajya Sabha member Partap Singh Bajwa, who is eyeing the Congress ticket from Batala for the upcoming assembly polls in Punjab, on Saturday said that former three-time MLA from the constituency Ashwani Sekhri will be “adjusted” according to his stature.
Sekhri, who was recently placated by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh with the post of Punjab Health Systems Corporation chairman, also considers himself as a claimant of the party ticket from his home turf.
“Ashwani is my younger brother. Taking care of him is my duty. On the last two occasions, I got the ticket allotted to him. This time again, his adjustment will be ensured according to his stature,” said Bajwa, who toured the constituency on Saturday. Sekhri was not available for comment.
Besides visiting houses of his supporters, Bajwa also hosted a lunch for mediapersons while launching his political activities in Batala.
Raising the issue of granting district status to Batala, Bajwa said: “I wrote a letter to the Punjab CM on August 11, and he is considering this demand sincerely. Captain Amarinder Singh is a very progressive CM, and he will surely correct the historic blunder committed by British rulers by not forming Batala as a district, which holds a lot of religious, historical, industrial and cultural importance.”
Bajwa also held a small meeting at Ghasitpur village, which is near Batala but falls under the Fatehgarh Churian assembly constituency. It is the home turf of cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, who is backing Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu in the tussle with the CM, while Partap is supporting the latter.
However, Partap Singh Bajwa made it clear that he has no plan of contesting the elections from Fatehgarh Churian, as Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa is his “elder brother” and had already announced his candidature.
