A confident former chief minister and chairman of Punjab Congress Campaign Committee has invited local media for a luncheon meeting in Chandigarh on Friday.
The timing of the meeting, 1:00 pm, assumes significance because by this time results for some constituencies may be out and the trends for most others will be available for the just-concluded general elections. The invitation has not only led to animated discussions among media hands here, but has put the rival Akali Dal leader on alert. A senior Akali Dal leader admitted, ?Capt has shown exemplary courage by inviting media on the day when election results would be announced.?
The leader said Amarinder Singh?s confidence stems from a tacit understanding with the leader of Sacha Sauda sect because of whom Amarinder?s men had performed exceptionally well in the Malwa belt, hitherto considered a stronghold of the Badals, in the previous Assembly elections.
Karan Sekhon an aid of Capt Amarinder Singh claimed that the former CM was sure of a clean sweep in view of massive response to his rallies in Punjab. The Congress is also hoping that it will be able to retain the Chandigarh seat for the third time in view of the performance of Pawan Bansal, its candidate from Chandigarh UT and as the minister of state for banking and finance.
Interestingly, Amarinder?s former advisor, BIS Chahal is often seen with him these days and the idea to invite media persons was a master stroke from the formidable Chahal.
Significantly, Capt Amarinder Singh?s wife, Pranjeet Kaur, is a candidate from erstwhile princely state of Patiala against Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary, Prem Singh Chandumajra.
Singh?s son Raninder Singh is a candidate from Bathinda, the stronghold of the Badals, for decades. Pitted against him is Simaranjit Kaur, wife of deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal. If Amarinder Singh?s son manages to register a win from Bathinda, the result would decide the relative popularity of the two families.
Besides Patiala and Bathinda, another constituency where all eyes would be fixed is Gurdaspur, where yesteryear?s movie star Vinod Khanna is trying his luck for the third time against former minister Partap Singh Bajwa. Reports emanating from Gurdaspur suggest that Bajwa has a headstart as people have been complaining that Khanna had failed to nurse his constituency. Taking a cue from Capt Singh, Bajwa has also called a press conference at Gurdaspur.