Raja Warring takes a dig at ex-MLA Angad Saini in Balachaur rally
PCC chief says only loyal Cong workers will get his backing for Assembly poll ticket
A day after the Congress leadership annoyed a faction of workers supporting ex-minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu in Ludhiana, terming them RSS stooges, the party's 'Harr booth, Congress mazboot' event saw the Punjab leaders again hitting out at Nawanshahr ex-MLA Angad Saini. Saini had stayed away from the event.
Taking a jibe at Saini during the 'Harr booth, Congress mazboot' rally at Balachaur this afternoon, PCC chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said, "There are some people who consider themselves as some 'Faate Khan'. They say politics was their grandfather’s occupation, then their father’s, then their mother’s, and now it belongs to them."
Warring gave enough hints to show whom he was targeting. Saini's grandfather Dilbagh Singh has been four-time MLA from Nawanshahr. His father Parkash Singh was MLA in 2002. His mother Guriqbal Kaur Babli became MLA in 2012. In 2017, Angad Saini was one of the youngest MLAs of Punjab.
Warring went on, "Those who think like this, I want to warn them beforehand. Though it will be the party high command that shall make the final call on deciding the candidates for the coming Assembly elections, I shall vouch for only those who are loyal to the Congress and love the party. I shall not back those who have attempted to jump out of the ship in the past or those who have made politics their business. They think that they have the Congress ticket in their pocket. But they are mistaken. Even I do not have the ticket in my pocket."
The move has clearly brought excitement among the adversaries of Saini. In 2022, Angad was denied ticket at the last moment. He had then contested as an Independent and bagged 31,516 votes. The BSP candidate had won from the seat while the Congress candidate had polled less than 7,000 votes and lost his security.
Meanwhile, Saini has been active in mobilising the OBC community as president of the Punjab Pradesh OBC Congress. Earlier this week, he announced a state-level OBC Congress meeting in Chandigarh on August 12, to be addressed by AICC OBC Cell National Chairman Dr Anil Jai Hind.
"Thereafter, we will undertake district-wise tours across Punjab, meet leaders and workers from all communities, and strengthen the organisation at the grassroots level. Following these consultations, a new state and district-level organisational structure will be prepared and sent to the AICC for approval", he had posted on his social media pages three days back.
Asked about the reason of his absence from Warring's rally, Saini said, "I had to attend the Sugarfed election in Nawanshahr. One of our party leaders has become a director." He, however, chose not to react on being targeted by Warring at the rally. Saini had recently attended a meeting with ex-CM Charanjit Channi and his loyalists in Mohali.
