Will win all 13 seats in Punjab: Amarinder after screening panel meet

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh exuded confidence that the Congress will win all 13 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state, after he discussed the party's probable candidates on the seats at a meeting of its screening committee on Sunday.

According to party sources, Punjab Congress is contemplating to field former prime minister Manmohan Singh from Amritsar, and it is learnt that the committee recommended the same.

Later, the chief minister called on Manmohan Singh. He was accompanied by Congress Punjab in-charge Asha Kumari and state party chief Sunil Jakhar.

All 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab will go to polls on May 19 and the results will be out on May 23.

Amarinder Singh joined other members of Punjab Pradesh Congress Screening Committee in shortlisting the candidates at a meeting at Kapurthala House in Delhi.

It was a preliminary meeting and candidates for the seats were shortlisted, the chief minister told mediapersons in an informal interaction after the meeting.

The names will be sent to AICC Central Election Committee for a final decision, as per the methodology proposed by Congress president Rahul Gandhi to ensure transparency in the functioning of the party, said Amarinder Singh.

He refused to give the names shortlisted at the meeting.

AICC General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal, Jakhar and Kumari also attended the meeting.

The Punjab Congress is fully geared to fight the Lok Sabha election, Amarinder Singh said, making it apparent that the party will not ally with anyone in the state.

The chief minister said the Punjab government would take all steps to ensure free and fair polls, in a secure environment. The police and civil administration would work in tandem to enable peaceful election in the state, he added.

In response to a question, he said the Army is an apolitical institution, which no political party should try to politicise. Any attempt to do so will have a demoralising effect on the armed forces, he added.

Before the formal discussion, the Screening Committee members individually met and sought views of some senior party leaders from the state.

These included Brahm Mahindra, Rajinder Kaur Bhattal, Santosh Chaudhry, Santokh Singh and Pratap Bajwa.