Navtej Cheema (Sultanpur Lodhi)
Jalandhar, January 18
Day after Cabinet Minister Rana Gurjeet Singh announced he would support his son Rana Inder Partap Singh’s decision to contest from the Sultanpur Lodhi seat as an Independent after being denied the Congress ticket, three sitting MLAs and a former legislator have written to party chief Sonia Gandhi, seeking his expulsion from the party.
Allegations baseless
If they think I am interfering in their constituencies, they too can come to Kapurthala and make an attempt to trounce me. — Rana Gurjeet Singh, Cabinet Minister
In the letter, copies of which have also been forwarded to party leader Rahul Gandhi, PCC chief Navjot Sidhu and state incharge Harish Chaudhary, the Congress leaders have demanded that the “nomination of Rana Gurjeet from Kapurthala constituency be immediately withdrawn and that he be removed from the party’s membership so as to send across a strong message to the leaders, who are weakening the party”.
Among those who have come out in support of Sultanpur Lodhi legislator Navtej Singh Cheema are Phagwara MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal, Jalandhar North MLA Bawa Henry and and former MLA Bholath Sukhpal Singh Khaira. Claiming that they too had been facing similar interference in their constituencies, the party leaders said: “Rana Gurjeet is weakening the Congress by interfering in other constituencies of the Doaba region, especially Sultanpur Lodhi, Phagwara, Bholath, Jalandhar North and Banga... Rana is doing this because he is playing into the hands of Opposition, especially the BJP... he was using his ties with ex-CM Capt Amarinder Singh to adjust close aides in the Punjab Lok Congress.
Terming the allegations as baseless, Rana Gurjeet said: “Instead of levelling allegations, these leaders should fight it out together.” —
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