Congress suspends Patiala MP Preneet Kaur

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 3

The Congress on Friday suspended Patiala Member of Parliament (MP) Preneet Kaur, wife of former Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, for her alleged anti-party activities. Preneet has been asked to reply within three days as to why she should not be expelled from the party.

In a statement, AICC general secretary and member-secretary, Disciplinary Action Committee, Tariq Anwar said the MP had been suspended after the Congress president received a complaint from the party’s Punjab unit chief, who alleged that she was indulging in anti-party activities to help the BJP. “Some other Congress leaders of Punjab also share this view. The complaint was referred to the Disciplinary Action Committee of the AICC for necessary action,” he added.

The Member of Parliament had been served a show-cause notice in November 2021 by AICC in-charge of Punjab affairs Harish Choudhary for “anti-party” activities. Her strained relations with top party leadership and the PCC president were visible as Preneet had been staying away from Congress activities since her husband was removed from the post of Chief Minister in September 2021.

Captain Amarinder Singh, who is currently in the BJP, resigned from the Congress in November 2021. The couple’s son Raninder Singh and daughter Jai Inder Kaur also joined the BJP along with their father. She was conspicuous by her absence during the Punjab leg of party leader Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ last month, which is being seen as the trigger for Warring’s latest complaint.

PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said he had already stated that she was no longer in the party. Last year, Punjab Congress leaders had passed a resolution seeking her expulsion from the party.

Bypoll unlikely

Party’s action against the four-time MP comes ahead of the release of the former PCC chief Navjot Sidhu from Patiala Jail. As she is not resigning ahead of the next parliamentary elections in May 2024, the provisions of the anti-defection law would not apply. As a result, there would be no bypoll to the Patiala seat.

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