Chandigarh: Exuding confidence that Congress
would "sweep" the Punjab polls, party`s Punjab chief Amarinder
Singh today said while deciding on party tickets "winnability"
criteria was given prime importance.
"Winnability criteria was kept at the top while giving
tickets. We chose the best. In some seats, we even had 3 to 4
candidates who were equally good, out of which we had to pick
one," he said.
Despite the dissidence, Singh exuded confidence that the
party will "sweep the polls".
"We are winning 70 plus seats," he said, claiming that
Akalis would be wiped out.
"I have also heard that (Chief Minister Parkash Singh)
Badal is looking for Mansa, another seat to fight for (in
addition to his present constituency Lambi)," he said
replying to a question.
Commenting on Malvinder Singh, who like Amarinder belongs
to the erstwhile Patiala Royal family, being denied the
ticket, he said, "I talked to him last night and told him
whatever decision has been taken by the Congress President is
in the larger interest of the party. I told him that sometimes
our party President has to take a larger view".
Amarinder said that his brother was "upset" at being
ignored as he felt that for the past 35 years he has been in
the party and on three occasions he has not got a chance to
enter the electoral fray.
"He has known the Congress President since the day of her
marriage and late Rajiv Gandhi and he was his classmate...I
hope he will consider in that light," Amarinder said when
asked to comment on Malvinder threatening to contest as
Independent from Samana assembly seat against his nephew
Raninder Singh.
"I would have liked a lot of people to be accommodated,
but it does not happen that way," he said.
Amarinder denied that his wife and Raninder`s mother
(Union Minister) Preneet Kaur had anything to do with his
candidature and added it was "a unilateral choice of the
Congress President."
PTI
