‘I am not the only Cong leader who is standing tall’: Capt Amarinder Singh

The Congress has a strong core of good leaders, who will review and introspect and identify the weaknesses in the party to revive it. And as a party leader, I will join these efforts to restore the party to its old glory. It is not about a national or state role.

Punjab turned out to be an exception as the Congress faced losses across the country in the Lok Sabha elections. The party won eight of the state’s 13 seats under chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s leadership. Singh spoke to Ramesh Vinayak about his party’s performance in Punjab, elsewhere in the country, and the factors responsible for it. Edited excerpts:

The Congress won eight of the 13 seats in Punjab under Capt. Amarinder Singh’s watch. (PTI PHOTO)

What do you make of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s victory?

That is a part of the introspection we need to do in Congress: What worked for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and did not work for the Congress. It is really too early to come to any definitive conclusions on that. But as a first reaction, I can only say that evidently the BJP succeeded in riding the Hindutva wave to polarise the nation on communal and caste lines.

Do you think that Modi’s Balkot and nationalism pitch were game changers?

No.[India’s airstrike on a terror camp in Pakistan’s] Balakot and nationalism were never an issue in these elections. How could they be when our soldiers continue to be killed at the borders even after Balakot... .

You are the only Congress leader standing tall after a massive defeat. Do you see yourself in a national role to revive the party’s fortunes?

I do not think I am the only Congress leader standing tall. The Congress has a strong core of good leaders, who will review and introspect and identify the weaknesses in the party to revive it. And as a party leader, I will join these efforts to restore the party to its old glory. It is not about a national or state role. It is about being a part and parcel of the Congress, which I still maintain is the only party that can save the nation from the divisive policies of the BJP and its allies.

Do you think the time has come for the Congress to look beyond the Gandhi dynasty?

It never was and still is not about dynastic politics, which is something the opposition harps on to further its own interests. From Indira Gandhi to Rajiv and now [Congress president] Rahul [Gandhi], every member of the Gandhi family has fought for his/her place in the party and served it with sweat and blood.

How was the Congress able to deal with the Modi factor in Punjab?

Modi was never a factor in Punjab. He was not in 2014 and is not even today. Do not forget that Modi’s BJP was an ally of the Akalis, who ruined Punjab for 10 years. People have not forgiven them for ruining their children with drugs, farmers have not forgotten the pain of huge debts, our young men and women are still struggling with the unemployment problem they left behind... The people have seen the contrast of the last two years, the development work we have initiated, the elimination of the drugs mafia, gangsterism, the farm debt waiver scheme we have launched, the jobs we are giving.