Cong open to alliance with like-minded parties: Amarinder

Congress MP Amarinder Singh today said that his party was open to alliance with like-minded parties for the 2017 Assembly elections in Punjab.

Talking to reporters after attending the National Press Day celebrations here, Amarinder said the ouster of the Akali-BJP government was a foregone conclusion and asserted that Congress was in a very strong position to get a comfortable majority on its own.

However, Congress was still open to alliance with like-minded parties to ensure that the secular and progressive vote against the SAD-BJP alliance did not divide, he said.

The Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha said the Bihar experiment had proved to be very successful and there was no harm in trying a similar arrangement here also.
 

Meanwhile, Amarinder met the family of late Capt Ashwani Kumar, who died recently in Siachen.

Sharing his grief with the bereaved family at their residence in Urban Estate, he said the whole of Patiala stood by them. Capt Ashwani will always be remembered and Patiala will always be proud of him.

On Aam Aadmi Party's prospects in Punjab, the Congress leader said people of Punjab are wise enough not to experiment with inexperienced people.

He pointed out that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had proved to be total failure and always tries to put all blame for his failures either on the Prime Minister or the Lieutenant Governor.

"Then what is he there for?" Amarinder asked, noting that even Sheila Dixit remained Chief Minister for 15 years and she never complained about anything even when there was BJP government at the Centre.