A General and Captain to battle it out in Patiala

Aman Sood & Manish Sirhindi

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 4

Patiala city looks set for a clash of two former Army officers.

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has almost made up its mind to field General JJ Singh (retd) from Patiala to ensure that PPCC chief Capt Amarinder Singh is kept confined to Patiala.

Sources within SAD said that the entire Patiala cadre has been told to “work all out for the party choice as it has come from none other than Sukhbir Badal.”

“The message to the leaders is very clear. They have been told to work for JJ Singh and ensure that the contest is made tough for the Punjab Congress chief, who usually leaves his canvassing to his family members and tours the state to help other candidates,” they said.

General Joginder Jaswant Singh today started his political campaign by paying obeisance at Gurdwara Dukhnirwan Sahib.

The General said that he has come loaded with “political missiles” that would be launched at the Patiala “royals”, who, he said, have been ignoring the masses for decades.

JJ Singh said that he would ensure that his political opponents feel the heat in the coming few days. “Amarinder served for a few years in the Army and therefore does not know that when an officer who retired as Army Chief decides to fight a poll, he gives it his everything,” he said.

Backed by a battery of retired Army veterans, JJ Singh wants this battle to be a decider. “Capt Amarinder says it is his last election and I will ensure he goes out losing,” he warns with a smile on his face.

While the Akalis plan to confine Capt Amarinder to Patiala to ensure that he holds few rallies outside his home turf, Amarinder’s wife Preneet Kaur, who is a former Member of Parliament, is a force to reckon with as she enjoys a good rapport with local voters.

“I come to Patiala only two or three times. My family takes care of canvassing in Patiala. Even this time, if the Akalis think that they can hold me in Patiala by giving ticket to a parachute candidate with an Army background, they need to think again,” said Amarinder.

Not impressed with SAD’s choice, Capt Amarinder Singh said that the Akalis could not have given him a better candidate as “JJ Singh is yet to settle down and know Patiala properly”.