Aam Aadmi Party’s new state convener Gurpreet Ghuggi says “it’s a big responsibility on my shoulders” and he still respects the man he has replaced.
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In his first reaction to the media after the appointment, he said he will try his best to strengthen the party and recommend fourth-front leader Navjot Singh Sidhu to join it. “The duty comes at the time when the assembly elections are close. I’ll have to work very hard,” he said on the sidelines of a rally for Amritsar South assembly seat candidate Dr Inderbir Singh Nijjar. “Candidates for most seats are yet to be announced.”
Ghuggi said he would look into the shortcoming in every constituency. “Once our national convener Arvind Kejriwal returns from Italy, he will devote his maximum time to Punjab.” Commenting on the revolt by a section of the party, the comedian-turned-politician said “those people are greedy”. “When they didn’t get anything, they left. The party was prepared for it.”
Commenting on the sacking of former state party convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and his saying no to reconciliation, Ghuggi said: “He is an old leader and I still respect him. It would have been better without what happened. It would have been good for me, if he continued to lead us.”
{{/usCountry}}Commenting on the sacking of former state party convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur and his saying no to reconciliation, Ghuggi said: “He is an old leader and I still respect him. It would have been better without what happened. It would have been good for me, if he continued to lead us.”
{{/usCountry}}A better course for Chhotepur, he said, was to present his side of the story humbly and resolve the issue. Replying to a query about Punjab Parivartan Yatra Chhotepur has announced from Gurdaspur, he said: “It doesn’t hurt the AAP. Yes, he hurt our sentiments by what he did.”
About former Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu’s forming a new political front in Punjab with Bains brothers and Pargat Singh, Ghuggi said it was too close to the assembly elections. “If Sidhu is sincere about the betterment of Punjab, the AAP is the best option for him. We have already done the groundwork in good interest of the state. He can’t be misled into helping the Akali-BJP win again when Punjabis want to get rid of them.”