Amarinder bats for Rahul as Congress president

The Congress vice president credited Amarinder for the party’s performance in Punjab, party sources said. Amarinder, who is from the old guard and was initially critical of Rahul’s leadership, said after the meeting that he will be happy if the Congress vice president is elevated. The two leaders met for around half an hour and exchanged notes. The sources said that the party would finalise plans for government formation in a day or two. 

“Today was a courtesy call. We will think and myself and our AICC secretary in-charge will sit together and prepare a list. Then, we will come again.... we will then discuss the government formation with our leadership,” Amarinder said after the meeting. Amarinder, who is Punjab Congress chief, favoured the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as party president saying, “I will be very happy to see Rahulji on top. I have been saying this for a year now. We are very happy to see Rahul Gandhi be elevated. We will all be very happy.” 

The Congress vice president also said after the meeting, “Met Amarinder Singh ji earlier today. I am confident that Punjab will once again rise to its true potential under a Congress government.” Amarinder also credited every worker and the party’s top leadership for the party’s performance in Punjab. The Congress has returned to power after a gap of ten years when it was defeated consecutively by the Akali-BJP combine. 

The Punjab Congress chief, who was earlier the deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, was highly critical of the BJP forming governments in Goa and Manipur despite emerging as the second largest party. Asked if Congress victory in Punjab was an answer to BJP’s “Congress-free India” slogan, he said, “I think so. Yes.”

Speaking out for the first time after the results of the elections to five states were declared on March 11, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi cried foul over BJP’s move to form governments in Goa and Manipur. Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the party of “stealing” the mandate of people and “undermining democracy” in these states by use of money power. The Congress vice president alleged that the Goa Governor acted in a “partisan” manner. 

“They are saying that it is okay for them to misuse the office of the Governor...In the two states where we won, democracy has been undermined by them (BJP) using financial power, money. That is what is happening. The mandate of the people of Goa and Manipur has been stolen by the BJP,” he told reporters outside Parliament.