Amritsar seat on mind, Capt, Asha Kumari, Jakhar call on Manmohan Singh

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service |
New Delhi, March 10

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, state in-charge Asha Kumari and state party chief Sunil Jakhar on Saturday called on former prime minister Manmohan Singh likely to convince him to consider contesting the general elections from the Amritsar after the party’s screening panel agreed that his nomination would benefit the party immensely.

The trio called on Manmohan Singh after the panel meet at Kapurthala House where Amarinder Singh, Asha Kumari, Jakhar and All India Congress Committee general secretary KC Venugopal discussed potential nominees for the upcoming Punjab polls.

Earlier on Sunday, Amarinder Singh, Venugopal, Asha Kumari, and Jakhar met to shortlist shortlist party candidates for the elections.  The Punjab chief minister told the press that the meeting was preliminary.

“Shortlisted names will be sent to the Congress’s Central Election Committee for it to be finalised according to selection rules that party president Rahul Gandhi has proposed, marking a new era in ushering transparency into the party functioning,” Captain Amarinder said, although he refused to reveal shortlisted names.

“Punjab Congress is fully geared to fight the Lok Sabha polls. We’ll sweep the elections,” Captain Amarinder, making it clear that the party did not need an alliance in the state.

Punjab will witness elections in a single phase on May 19. There are 13 Lok Sabha seats in the state.