Merit, winnability must for ticket: Navjot Singh Sidhu

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 16

Asserting that sitting MLAs may not necessarily get a party ticket, PCC chief Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday said winnability and merit would be the sole criteria for selection of candidates in the upcoming Assembly elections.

Having withdrawn his resignation, Sidhu accompanied by CM Charanjit Singh Channi and Punjab affairs incharge Harish Chaudhary resumed work at the PCC office here. He said the charges of wrongdoing by certain MLAs would be verified before deciding on the ticket. Sidhu’s statement comes amid an ongoing survey by the All India Congress Committee on the popularity and winnability of candidates in all 117 Assembly segments. There are reports that seats of some of the MLAs could be changed.

Asserting he had the mandate of the party high command to implement his Punjab model on the revival of state economy, Sidhu said the party would put up a united front and go full esteem in the campaign in the coming days.

He said the list of district presidents and other office-bearers would be out in the next five to seven days and the party would enter the field with full strength.

The PCC chief said he was not here just for politics but for making the lives of the people better and this could be achieved through better governance and revival of the economy. Pointing out that the next two months would set the roadmap for the government in 2022, he said: “What was not done in four and a half years is now being done in two months. Facts speak for themselves”.

Reacting to a question on sand and gravel prices still being on a higher side, Sidhu said the only solution was making corporation to sell sand gravel. On the present situation of controlling the sand prices, he said changes could not be made overnight. “As the party president, I am answerable for party affairs, CM Channi can give the reply,” he said.