Amarinder files nomination papers from Patiala seat

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh today filed his nomination papers from the Patiala constituency for the February 4 state assembly election.
Accompanied by his wife and the present Patiala MLA Preneet Kaur and other family members he went to the office of the Sub-Divisional Magistrate and filed his nomination papers.
Earlier, 74-year-old Amarinder stopped en route to offer prayers and take blessings at the gurdwara and temple at Burj Baba Ala Singh at the historic Qila Mubarak of his ancestral home, followed by the Kali Mata Mandir, built by his family, as well as Gurdwara Dukh Nivaran Sahib.
After filing the papers, he embarked on a roadshow through his home town.

Amarinder will also file his papers from Lambi tomorrow, the other seat from which he is contesting the assembly polls.
At Lambi, he is taking Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal head-on in what he himself as dubbed the grandfather of all battles.

Talking to media persons after filing his nomination, Amarinder said he was determined to defeat Badal from Lambi in order to teach a "lesson" to all future chief ministers allegedly misusing their powers for personal and family gains.
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Meanwhile, former Army chief Gen JJ Singh (retd) today filed his nominations papers from Patiala constituency as SAD nominee.

After filing papers, he hit back at his opponent Punjab Congress chief Capt Amarinder Singh and termed him as a "fraud soldier".
He said Amarinder had no right to judge a person who had been decorated in every rank.
"He has no authority to judge me. I've been decorated in every rank. I think he has no idea, he should read my autobiography. And then he will know what I am talking about," the former army chief said.
He, however, added, "I was branded as Shatian Singh by Pakistani militants as I have tightened the noose against the extremists in Kashmir".

Gen Singh, who is the SAD-BJP candidate for the Punjab Assembly polls, dubbed Amarinder as a "gumshuda" (missing) leader, saying his political career would end soon.
He claimed the Congress leader would lose from both Patiala and Lambi assembly seats.
"He will get tired. I am working 18 hours a day; he cannot work even six hours a day. He needs rest. My roots are here and he says I have nothing to do with Patiala. I think he knows nothing," the SAD candidate said.
The former army chief's outburst against the Congress leader came after he described him as an average general.

The Assembly elections in the state will be held on February 4.
He claimed that Amarinder has shown his face during elections only and his wife (MLA Preneet Kaur) has been running the show in his absence.
The SAD candidate claimed that it was just a proxy politics played by Amarinder.