MALERKOTLA, Punjab— Addressing a gathering of Congress activists at Malerkotla on August 25, the head of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee, Captain Amarinder Singh, informed the press that the first list of candidates for the 2017’s assembly polls of Punjab will be released within 10 days. He said that the Party leaders will meet with the National Vice-President of Congress, Mr. Rahul Gandhi, to discuss the selection of candidates. Notably, 1671 candidates have applied for tickets from the 117 assembly constituencies of Punjab.
He informed that he will contest the election from Patiala while the newly inducted former Finance Minister of Punjab, Manpreet Badal, will also contest the election.
Terming the issue of SYL-Canal as a sensitive issue, Captain Amarinder Singh said that all the parliamentarians and legislators of Congress in Punjab will resign if the Supreme Court verdicts against Punjab in this concern. “If Congress succeeds in obtaining power after the election, we will bring an Act like Punjab Termination of Agreements Act-2004 to defend the right of Punjab over its natural resources,” he added.
Inviting the BJP rebellion Navjot Singh Sidhu to join Congress, the Captain reiterated that Navjot Sidhu belongs to a Congress family and he is welcome to join Congress.
Lashing out at the Chief Minister of Punjab, Parkash Badal, for the plight of farmers, Captain Amarinder Singh said that the Congress will invent a permanent way to sort out the problems of debt-ridden farmers. He claimed that the Congress will bring a strategy so that the farmers could be given debt by banks on the guarantee of the Punjab government.
Meanwhile, Amarinder Singh said that 1,661 candidates have already made nominations to contest the upcoming assembly polls on the Congress ticket from 117 assembly constituencies of Punjab.
Confirming the development, the added that the nominations depict the trust of the Punjab masses in the Congress. He said that even though all the candidates could not be given a ticket for the polls, however, if Congress succeeds in cracking the polls, all the Congress activists will be rewarded with a suitable place.
Captain said that the youth of Punjab was much encouraged towards Congress following the announcement of the reservation of 35 tickets for Youth. He informed us that female candidates have also made nominations in huge count. He clarified that on getting into power, the legislators or the contesting candidates won’t be given place in any Board, Corporation or Trust.
