Sulking ex-Cong MP Kaypee meets Pb CM Amarinder Singh over candidature

Senior Congress leader Mohinder Singh Kaypee, who was sulking over being denied ticket, met Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh here on Monday and sought a review of the party's decision regarding the candidature from Jalandhar seat.

The miffed Congress leader had had threatened to contest in Jalandhar as Independent and claimed that he was being given feelers by the BJP.

Kaypee's meeting with Amarinder Singh on Monday was held amid efforts being made by Congress leaders to mollify him. In the meeting, he was accompanied by cabinet minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and MLA Raj Kumar Verka.

"I have met CM Amarinder Singh this evening... I have sought review of the decision of allotting ticket to Chaudhary Santokh Singh," Kaypee said, adding he was asked to meet Congress' in-charge of Punjab affairs Asha Kumari on Tuesday.

Over the past couple of days, senior Congress leaders from Punjab, including state minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Raj Kumar Verka had met Kaypee separately in a bid to persuade him to support Chaudhary Santokh Singh.

The 62-year-old former MP, who had won from Jalandhar in 2009 but lost in 2014 when the Congress shifted him to Hoshiarpur parliamentary constituency, Friday said that even though he enjoyed a clean image, his claims for a poll ticket had been overlooked.

Kaypee had termed this denial his "political murder".

Notably, the Congress has reposed faith in its sitting MP from Jalandhar, Chaudhary Santokh Singh by re-nominating him from the parliamentary constituency.