Political heavyweights Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh on Tuesday filed their nomination papers. Mr Badal filed his papers from Lambi and Capt. Singh from the Patiala-I Assembly segment.
After filing his papers, Capt. Singh said that the Congress is expected to win at least 75 seats as indicated by various surveys, including those conducted by the state government intelligence agencies. “But our effort will be to increase the number of seats to maximum.” He was accompanied by the members of his family, including his wife Preneet Kaur, minister of state for external affairs, and son Raninder Singh.
He said the Congress was certain and confident of forming the government in Punjab as there was a mood for change in the state. He said people were so upset with the Akalis that they were counting the days as when they (the Akalis) will be thrown out.
Capt. Singh revealed that all the senior leaders of the party from the Centre, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi, will come for campaigning in Punjab in the coming days.
He clarified there was not much dissidence within the party after the announcement of the candidates. He said there were some initial reactions but except for one or two all those not happy have met him and agreed and assured that they will be campaigning for the party candidates and some of them had already joined the campaign.
Ridiculing Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal for levelling baseless allegations that Congress tickets were sold for `25 crores each, Capt. Singh remarked, “The Congress party does not sell tickets as Akalis do, but if Sukhbir believes that Congress tickets were really sold and that too for such a whopping amount, he should better pack off as it means Congress was certain to form the government in the state as nobody likes to buy a losing stock”.