Capt: Yes, I had decided to quit Cong

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 27

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee chief Capt Amarinder Singh today made a candid confession — that months ago he had decided to quit the Congress and float a regional party.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone, he said, “Yes, I was ready to quit the party months ago. I had told AICC president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi about the decision.”

For the first time, he admitted that he was unhappy with the state unit at that point of time (when Partap Singh Bajwa was PPCC chief) and wanted changes at the top level. “Reacting to my decision to quit, Rahul Gandhi observed this would be a loss to both the Congress and to me. I frankly told him that let it be so as I could not work in the existing set-up,” said Amarinder.

He had begun holding meetings with MLAs loyal to him on forming a party when he was appointed PPCC chief in place of Bajwa. “The intention was not to defy the party leadership, but to regroup in order to dethrone the SAD-BJP government in Punjab.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook and Twitter @thetribunechd)

“It is my belief that to counter regional parties, the high command should give more freedom to its state presidents so that they can take decisions on the spot in the interest of the party,” said the PPCC chief.