In a jolt to dissidents, Rawat says Punjab Assembly election to be fought under Capt Amarinder Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 25

Ahead of the start of the meeting with four dissident ministers and three MLAs at Dehradun, Punjab affairs in-charge and AICC general secretary Harish Rawat on Wednesday said the 2022 Punjab Assembly election would be fought under the leadership of Capt Amarinder Singh. The indication given by Rawat was a jolt to the dissidents.

After the meeting, Rawat said the four ministers and three MLAs, who on Tuesday went public demanding replacement of the CM, wanted a clear roadmap for party’s win in the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections.

“They had expressed serious concerns over the functioning of the state government and district administration. If a party MLA is feeling insecure that the district administration would work for his defeat in the election, then it is a matter of concern. I have similar complaints earlier, but the issue should not come in way of the party,” Rawat said while refusing to share details of the discussions

The Punjab affairs in-charge said he would take up the issues raised by the leaders with senior leaders concerned and would be going to Delhi to brief the party high command.

The four ministers—Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Charanjit Singh Channi— had gone to Dehradun to meet Rawat.

After the meeting, they were likely to go to New Delhi and meet Rahul Gandhi on Thursday.

These ministers and around two dozen legislators on Tuesday had held a meeting here and sought replacement of the chief minister, saying they had lost faith in him over the unfulfilled promises.